Today, more than 1,500 counties in the U.S. are without a single veterinarian to treat animals, estimated by the AVMA. That amounts to 44 states with at least one shortage area, designated annually by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The shortage is most acute in states with the most food-producing animals, such as cows, chickens and pigs.
In Idaho, 33 of its 44 counties are in need of rural veterinarians; in South Dakota, more than a dozen counties have more than 25,000 food-producing animals but no food-animal veterinarians.
Last year, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack designated 187 veterinary shortage areas nationwide. Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Texas top the list.
The problem extends beyond protecting animals. Nearly 70 percent of human diseases have an animal origin, DeHaven said, and are often caused by bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli transmitted to humans from animals. Read More…
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