Veterinary medical college advances animal, human and environmental health

The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, the state’s only veterinary college, is best known for its cutting-edge care of animal patients through its large and small teaching hospitals, its contributions to scientific research and its high-quality D.V.M. training program.

But the college is about much more than training veterinarians and caring for sick animals. Its overriding goal is to advance animal, human and environmental health — a filter of purpose through which all of its key programs can be seen.

“Most people still think of veterinarians in the James Herriott mode of the grandfatherly healer in Herriott’s famous book, ‘All Creatures Great and Small,’ said Dean Joseph A. DiPietro. “But this is not your grandfather ’s profession anymore, and your grandmother would be proud.”

Today’s UF veterinary school classes are overwhelmingly female — the class of 2003 consists of 71 percent women and 29 percent men — and more and more graduates choose to continue their studies in specialty areas through internships and residencies. The UF veterinary school now has more graduates accepted into post-D.V.M. internships or residencies than any other veterinary college in the United States.

UF’s veterinary college faculty have gained national and international recognition for their work in the area of lentivirology and tick-borne diseases affecting livestock, as well as in identification and diagnosis of emerging diseases in Florida wildlife.

These longstanding research programs and newer programs created to address the immediate needs of the pet-owning public and the environment — such as a “fish service” to provide veterinary care to pet fish and a new marine mammal medicine program, the first of its kind in the nation — make up the college’s identity in 2003.

Janet Yamamoto, Ph.D., co-discoverer of feline immunodeficiency virus in cats, also known as feline AIDS, developed a vaccine against the disease that recently became the first of its type to receive federal approval for commercial distribution.

Michael Burridge, B.V.M.S., Ph.D., whose research focuses on heartwater, anaplasmosis and babesiosis, all important tick-borne diseases affecting livestock, has developed and tested new vaccines and developed new diagnostic tests for these diseases. As a result, the college maintains the largest-funded biotechnology program among veterinary colleges nationwide.

Veterinary medical faculty also are making an impact on improving public health.

College researcher Tom Wronski, Ph.D., developed an animal model using rats to study post-menopausal osteoporosis, a common disabling problem in women. Researcher Paul Davenport, Ph.D., has developed new methods to identify children at risk of death from asthma. He also has developed new methods to provide respiratory rehabilitation to patients with various types of breathing dysfunction, including patients with spinal cord injury such as Christopher Reeve.

The college’s Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology fosters and disseminates knowledge about the health impacts of drugs, chemicals and environmental agents. Center scientists, working with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, have been involved in determining the potential consequences to human health posed by chemicals at virtually every major contaminated site in Florida.

Criteria used throughout the state to evaluate soil contamination and guide cleanups were developed by the center under the direction of Steve Roberts, Ph.D.

The college also offers distance education programs in forensic toxicology, specifically for law enforcement and other professionals seeking to broaden their expertise in these areas. Many members of Florida law enforcement agencies have matriculated through these programs as part of their mandatory training.

Florida’s endangered and threatened wildlife species, including various types of sea turtles, the Florida gopher tortoise and numerous wading birds, have benefited from ongoing studies of wildlife diseases and from the clinical care available to treat such animals through the college’s highly reputed zoological medicine service.

UF veterinarians and pathologists made history recently by diagnosing West Nile Virus, an important emerging disease, for the first time in alligators.

The state’s horse racing industry, which contributes hundreds of millions of dollars to the state’s economy, benefits from medication and drug clearance studies performed at UF on athletically conditioned thoroughbreds. Researchers hope to eventually provide information regarding the time required for specific medications to be eliminated from the systems of racehorses so that they may receive needed and appropriate treatment and still be able to compete safely in compliance with state regulations.

The college’s food animal reproduction, medicine and surgery service (FARMS) contributes to a safer food supply for Floridians and helps Florida’s livestock producers increase their profitability by furthering knowledge of diseases of particular importance in this state, such as Johnes, trichomonosis, lameness, mastitis and infertility.

Through the efforts of UF veterinary faculty members Paul Nicoletti, D.V.M., and Ed Richey, D.V.M., over several decades, Florida is now brucellosis free. Richey, an extension beef cattle veterinarian, has helped Florida beef cattle producers enjoy greater profits in producing calves sent to the West to be fed.

The college’s clinicians and researchers tackle their daily projects with single-minded focus, whether it is developing a new vaccine or sharpening a protocol to improve the outcome of clinical procedures such as kidney transplants in dogs.

Florida’s taxpayers, whether they are pet owners or not, have a stake in the college’s mission as recipients of its many public health services.

“The College of Veterinary Medicine pays dividends to state residents and taxpayers in ways both tangible and intangible,” said James Pennington, D.V.M., president of the Florida Veterinary Medical Association. “This happens every day through the college’s commitment to enhance quality life in pets and food animals, in wildlife and exotic species, as well as in people and the environment.”