According to a study conducted by researchers at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, veterinary diagnostic labs across the United States had a substantial positive effect on the health of humans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper was recently published in PLOS on June 25, 2024, and demonstrated the benefits of mobilizing these facilities for population-level testing as well as timely informed public health interventions.
“Many veterinary diagnostic laboratories continuously evaluate domestic and wild animal populations for evidence of disease, including diseases that affect humans. They were key in supporting the robust testing capacity necessary for public health agencies to respond to the pandemic,” said Lorin D. Warnick, DVM, PhD, the Austin O. Hooey dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and senior author on the paper, in an organizational release.1
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[Source: DVM360 23 July 2024 by Caitlin McCafferty]
Reference
- Study: Veterinary diagnostic labs played key role in COVID-19 response. News release. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. July 17, 2024. Accessed July 23, 2024. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/about-us/news/study-veterinary-diagnostic-labs-played-key-role-covid-19-response
- Clements N, Diel DG, François Elvinger, Koretzky G, Siler J, Warnick LD. The role of veterinary diagnostic laboratories during COVID-19 response in the United States. PloS one. 2024;19(6):e0303019-e0303019. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303019