Veterinary Epidemiology Unit, Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, Upper Newtownards Rd, Belfast, BT4 3SB, UK.
Vet Rec. 2013 May 11;172(19):503. doi: 10.1136/vr.101366. Epub 2013 Apr 23.
Diagnostic sampling of farm animals by private veterinary practitioners can be an important contributing factor towards the discovery of emerging and exotic diseases. This focus group study of farm animal practitioners in Northern Ireland investigated their use and expectations of diagnostic veterinary laboratories, and elicited their opinions on the role of the private practitioner in veterinary surveillance and the protection of rural public health. The veterinarians were enthusiastic users of diagnostic laboratories, and regarded their own role in surveillance as pivotal. They attached great importance to their veterinary public health duties, and called for more collaboration with their medical general practitioner counterparts. The findings of this research can be used to guide future development of veterinary diagnostic services; provide further insights into the mechanics of scanning surveillance; and measure progress towards a 'One Health' approach between veterinarians and physicians in one geographical region of the UK.
私人兽医从业者对农场动物进行诊断性采样可能是发现新出现和外来疾病的一个重要因素。本研究通过焦点小组访谈的方式调查了北爱尔兰的农场动物从业者对兽医诊断实验室的使用情况和预期，并了解了他们对私人从业者在兽医监测和保护农村公共卫生方面的作用的看法。兽医从业者是诊断实验室的热心使用者，他们认为自己在监测方面的作用至关重要。他们非常重视兽医公共卫生职责，并呼吁与他们的医学全科医生同行加强合作。本研究的结果可用于指导兽医诊断服务的未来发展；进一步了解扫描监测的机制；并衡量英国某一地理区域兽医和医生之间“同一健康”方法的进展情况。
