United States Animal Health Association.

Committee On Public Health And Rabies

The purpose of the Committee on Public Heath and Rabies is to enhance public health and environmental quality for all animals, including humans. It provides a liaison with USAHA to livestock producers and handlers, private and public veterinarians and their organizations and agencies. It will encourage increased coordination among agriculture, wildlife and public health agencies in the detection, identification, prevention, control, and eradication of infectious and non-infectious diseases and conditions affecting animals and the common environment of animals and humans. With emphasis on facilitating communication and data sharing between the animal and human health communities to recognize emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases.

Objectives:

Establish a forum for all zoonotic diseases, both existing and emerging problems. Create Zoonotic Subcommittees as needed.
Objectives related to Rabies are:

to maintain an awareness of the animal rabies situation, primarily in North America but other portions of the world as well
to assess its impact on all animals including livestock, wildlife, pets, and humans
to monitor regulatory programs of various public and animal health agencies in North America
to develop program recommendations
to share information on new technologies pertaining to rabies

Assist in maintaining and developing healthy animal populations by improving the environmental quality through information for handling of hazardous wastes, recycling, disinfection in management and production.
Review and recommend programs as a committee or in conjunction with other committees in reducing and preventing disease agent transmission through foods or feeds of animal or poultry origin intended for consumption.
Promote education and training initiatives for livestock producers and handlers, and private and public practitioners in defining their role in maintaining and enhancing the public's health and environmental quality.

Committee Members

Committee Member Directory

Reports

Resolutions

2007: Resolution 21: Strategic Initiatives Against Rabies; Resolution 22: The North American Rabies Management Plan
2006: Resolution 25: Improving the Response to Food-Associated Disease Outbreaks; Resolution 26: Standardization of Point Source Contamination Detection, Determination, and Investigation Methods; Resolution 27: Funding for Additional Research on Use of Infrad Technology to Detect Signs of Animal Disease; Resolution 28: A New Biosecurity Level 3-AG (BSL-3-AG) Wildlife Disease Research Laboratory at the National Wildlife Research Center; Resolution 29: A National Plan for Rabies Control in Wildlife; Resolution 30: Public Health Continuing Education Module for Veterinary Accreditation
2005: Resolution 8: A New Biosafety Level 3-AG (BSL-3-AG) Wildlife Disease Research Laboratory at the National Wildlife Research Center; Resolution 31: A National Plan for Rabies Control in Wildlife; Resolution 32: Funding for Additional Research on Use of Infrared Technology to Detect Signs of Animal Disease
2004: Resolution 06: A National Plan for Rabies Control in Wildlife; Resolution 19: Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9