Day: February 12, 2011

AVMA seeks input on Model Veterinary Practice Act

The 2003 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Model Veterinary Practice Act (MVPA), like all previous versions, is intended to serve as a model set of guiding principles for those who are now or will be in the future preparing or revising a practice act under the codes and laws of an individual state. Commentary following each section of the MVPA, which was prepared by the AVMA Practice Act Task Force (PATF), the entity charged with revising the 1997 MVPA, also serves a similar purpose. The first AVMA Model Veterinary Practice Act was developed by the Judicial Council

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Winter weather puts a strain on Oklahoma ranchers

TULSA, Oklahoma — In this type of weather lots of folks are forced to work from home or take a vacation day, but it’s a different story for Oklahoma ranchers. Livestock depend on them for food, shelter and water no matter how much snow we get. Mother nature packed a one two punch, and like everyone else, Green Country farms are feeling it. Last week’s snow had just started to melt when the next round hit. “This latest storm probably didn’t have quite as much preparation time, because we were still recovering and that gives us a

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Increases in livestock populations linked to rise in disease epidemics

YOU can be killed by an exotic variety of diseases in India. But until recently Congo fever was not one of them. A tick-borne virus, endemic to parts of Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere, it passes easily from livestock to man, and then between humans. Horrible symptoms include fever, internal bleeding and liver failure. Some 30% of infected humans die, usually within a couple of weeks. The authorities in Gujarat, western India, were therefore alarmed when in January a medical intern died of the disease, formally known as Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever. Earlier in the month it

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