Frontiers in Veterinary Science (VETS20019)

This subject will introduce students to the broad scope of animal health, and the role of veterinarians in addressing grand veterinary challenges of our time.

Students will be introduced to the determinants of animal health, as well as the concept of the interconnectedness of the health of humans, animals and the environment. Key themes that will be explored during the course, with reference to contemporary challenges, will include:

• Animal welfare in the face of intensification of food production systems, and globalisation in animal trade
• Ethical issues surrounding the use of animals in entertainment and sport
• Zoonoses, and the risk factors for the transmission of disease from animals to humans, including emergence of new diseases at the animal-human interface
• Environmental determinants of animal health, and the impact of climate change on animal production systems and animal welfare
• Antimicrobial and other pharmaceutical use in animals, its impact on food residues and on antimicrobial resistance
• Biosecurity, quarantine and surveillance, in the context of global animal and human health
• The role of working animals globally
• The role of veterinarians across a broad range of disciplines in maintaining the health and well-being of animals and hence humans