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The WSAVA Scientific Advisory Committee (WSAVA-SAC)has been created to advise and assist the WSAVA Executive Board in developing links with the academic world involved in research and development in Small Animal Veterinary Science. Its aim is to stimulate academic participation under auspices of the WSAVA and at the same time to promote worldwide access to knowledge resulting from research.

Members of the Committee:

Professor Michael Day, University of Bristol, UK (Chair)
Professor Marc Vandevelde, University of Bern, Switzerland
Professor Yoshito Wakao, Azabu University, Japan
Professor Dale Bjorling, University of Wisconsin, USA
Professor Cecile Clercx, University of Liege, Belgium
Professor Gad Baneth, Hebrew University, Israel
Professor Richard Squires, James Cook University, Australia
Professor Lorrie Gaschen, Louisiana Sate University, USA

Points of activity:

* To advise the Executive Board on proposed projects concerning research and standardization of diagnosis and treatment.

* To advise the Executive Board on recipients for the WSAVA Scientific Awards.

* To select the State of the Art lecturers for each WSAVA Congress.

* To nominate one of its members to take part in the Scientific Committee of the Organizing Committee of each WSAVA Congress, and to advise on the speakers to be invited.

* To approve the preliminary and final scientific programs of each WSAVA Congress.

* To provide the Executive Board with up to date information in case of an outbreak of small animal contagious diseases and zoonoses.

Key Project Updates:

WSAVA Vaccination Guideline Group (VGG)

Made possible by the generous sponsorship of Intervet/Schering Plough Animal Health, the VGG was convened in order to develop guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats that have global applications. The VGG recognizes that the keeping of pet small animals is subject to significant variation in practice and associated economics throughout the world, and that vaccination recommendations that might apply to a developed country, amy or may not be appropriate for a developing country. Despite this, the VGG strongly recommends that wherever possible, ALL dogs and cats receive the benefit of vaccination. This not only protects the individual animal, but provides optimum "herd immunity" that minimizes the likelihood of outbreak of infectious disease.
With this in mind, the SAC and VGG has developed the attached Guidelines for the Vaccination of Dogs and Cats to assist veterinarians throughout the world in developing vaccination strategies based on disease incidence and sound immunological principles, bothe of which are covered in the Guideline text.

These Guidelines also contain information on vaccination in the shelter environment and have been published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice:
Day MJ, Horzinek MC, Schultz RD. Guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats: Compiled by the Vaccination Guidelines Group (VGG) of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). J Sm Anim Pract 2007;48(9):528-541.

Unique to the Guidelines published here on the WSAVA website are a series of disease summary sheets and a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) section for added reader benefit.

Vaccine Guidelines 2007 (PDF)

Vaccine Guidelines 2007 - Spanish (PDF)

See also:

• Liver Disease Standardization Group
• GI Standardization Group
• Renal Standardization Group

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Also of scientific interest

Infection Control and Best Practice Guidelines for Small Animal Veterinary Clinics

The linked manual provides veterinary personnel with a succinct guide to principles and practices of infection control relevant to small animal veterinary clinics, providing a complete �gHow to�h manual of infection control that is accessible to everyone in the practice team, including veterinarians, veterinary technicians and lay staff. It provides the basic information needed to develop an infection control program and to establish basic infection control practices for such clinics, with specific emphasis on critical aspects such as hand hygiene, and on cleaning and disinfection. The manual includes a simple audit tool to assess current infection control practices and to document improvement over time. Individual sections and tables can easily be printed and then posted in relevant areas of the clinic.

The manual was sponsored by the Canadian Committee on Antibiotic Resistance (CCAR) and developed by Maureen Anderson, Jennifer Montgomery, Scott Weese, and John Prescott, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph. It has been endorsed by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, and is freely accessible on the WSAVA website.
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EJCAP Special issue on zoonotic diseases in companion animals

The European Journal of Companion Animal Practice (EJCAP) has recently published a special issue on zoonotic diseases in companion animals. All the articles can be downloaded free of charge.

Veterinarians need to be able to recognise zoonotic diseases and the effects they have on animals. Companion animal veterinarians also need knowledge on the effect of these diseases on human beings, thus enabling them to cooperate with human doctors in disease control.

The issue comprises a collection of articles dealing with important zoonoses all written by outstanding European experts in their field. The aim is that the information gained from these articles will help veterinary practitioners identify and handle zoonoses in the best way possible.

The European Journal of Companion Animal Practice (EJCAP) is the official journal of FECAVA, the Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations.

If you have any comments or questions to the special issue on zoonoses, do not hesitate to contact Sub Editor of EJCAP Astrid Bjerk��at astrid.bjerkas@gmail.com

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Scientific Advisory Committee Update on Canine and Avian Influenza Virus

The WSAVA would like to offer information of quality to the readers of the WSAVA web page regarding the H5N1 strain of influenza. Since Avian Influenza, often termed ?bird flu?, and the recently emerging Canine Influenza are front-page news items in both the veterinary and the human health press, not to mention the lay press, the WSAVA has selected several articles and other resources as well as summarizing key issues well worth the attention of veterinarians in companion animal practice.

Read more...