Royal Veterinary College Research Articles

Procurement of equids for the horsemeat trade in Great Britain

Veterinary RecordVolume 173, Issue 8 p. 194-194 Research Procurement of equids for the horsemeat trade in Great Britain Y. Bell BVetMed, Y. Bell BVetMed SiMaBô Associazione, Mindelo, Sao Vicente, Cape VerdeSearch for more papers by this authorT. J. Gibson PhD, PGDipSci, BSc, Corresponding Author T. J. Gibson PhD, PGDipSci, BSc tgibson@rvc.ac.uk Department of Production and Population Health, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, AL9 7TA UKE-mail for correspondence: tgibson@rvc.ac.ukSearch for more papers by this authorN. G. Gregory PhD, BSc, N. G. Gregory PhD, BSc Department of Production and Population Health, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, AL9 7TA UKSearch for more papers by this author Y. Bell BVetMed, Y. Bell BVetMed SiMaBô Associazione, Mindelo, Sao Vicente, Cape VerdeSearch for more papers by this authorT. J. Gibson PhD, PGDipSci, BSc, Corresponding Author T. J. Gibson PhD, PGDipSci, BSc tgibson@rvc.ac.uk Department of Production and Population Health, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, AL9 7TA UKE-mail for correspondence: tgibson@rvc.ac.ukSearch for more papers by this authorN. G. Gregory PhD, BSc, N. G. Gregory PhD, BSc Department of Production and Population Health, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, AL9 7TA UKSearch for more papers by this author First published: 31 August 2013 https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.101636 Provenance: Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume173, Issue8August 2013Pages 194-194 RelatedInformation

The cost of colic

Ally Gau investigates the financial implications of colic and discusses the surgical procedure with Thomas Witte, Lecturer in equine surgery Royal Veterinary College

Being involved in history

After a short time in practice, followed by a research and teaching role at the Royal Veterinary College, Bruce Vivash Jones joined the pharmaceutical industry before setting up his own consultancy business. He also has a penchant for veterinary history

Mushroom toxicosis: cause or confounder in seasonal canine illness?

Mushroom toxicosis: cause or confounder in seasonal canine illness?

Schmallenberg virus: continuing a trend?

Correspondence: Rob Noad Centre for Emerging Endemic and Exotic Diseases, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield AL9 7TA United Kingdom Tel +44 017 076 670 62 Fax +44 017 076 670 51 Email rnoad@rvc.ac.uk Abstract: Since its first isolation in Germany in 2011 the Schmallenberg strain of the Sathuperi virus has been detected across northern Europe. The virus is associated with neurological disease, abortion, and congenital deformities in ruminants, particularly among sheep and cattle. The rapid dissemination of the pathogen is reminiscent of the transmission of another midge-borne arbovirus, Bluetongue virus, which also spread to Europe on several separate occasions between 1998 and 2007. In this review we detail the characteristic features of the Schmallenberg virus and consider whether the virus highlights a European vulnerability for other midge-transmitted pathogens.

Veterinary career ambitions correlate with gender and past experience, with current experience influencing curricular perspectives

The Royal Veterinary College's ‘Teaching Quality Survey’ was completed by 261 recent graduates (six months after graduation) from 2005 to 2011 (26.8 per cent response rate). The results were used...

Graduate diploma in professional and clinical veterinary nursing

Three groups of VNs have now successfully completed the Royal Veterinary College's (RVC's) graduate diploma in professional and clinical veterinary nursing. Course director Perdi Welsh explains how this online course offers working VNs the chance to study for a university qualification

One health: finding out what's happening on ‘the other side’

Alexander Stoll, a final-year student at the Royal Veterinary College, was awarded a bursary by the RCVS Charitable Trust to attend the first Veterinary, Biomedical and Pharma Sciences congress, which was held in Birmingham in the autumn. Here, he describes his experiences at the congress, which brought together delegates from a wide range of backgrounds under the theme of 'Two worlds, one health'

A biplanar X-ray method for three-dimensional analysis of track formation

Tracks arise through a complex interplay between animal and substrate. Studying this dynamic process is challenging because most foot-sediment and sediment-sediment interactions are rapid and hidden from view. Herein, we describe a new method for visualizing and quantifying three-dimensional movements of both a morphologically accurate indenter and realistic sediment during track formation. Our method uses biplanar X-ray imaging and an animation-based workflow to reconstruct the trajectories of metal beads seeded throughout the sediment volume. X-rays allow sub-surface motion normally concealed by the foot and opaque matrix to be analyzed at 30 frames per second with sub-millimeter resolution. Results from two case studies of tridactyl tracks in semi-liquid mud provide novel, animated visualizations, examples of ensemble and particle-specific data, as well as measures of precision and accuracy. This methodology has the potential to mechanistically link specific track morphologies to foot movement, clarify undertrack formation, validate computational models, and set a new standard for evidence-based reconstruction of locomotion from fossil footprints. Richard G. Ellis. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA and Structure and Motion Lab, The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA United Kingdom richgellis@gmail.com Stephen M. Gatesy (correspondence author). Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA stephen_gatesy@brown.edu

Curriculum vitae paper - Sune G.B. Persson (1931-2009)

Sune Persson was born in Landskrona Sweden in 1931 and grew up on the west coast of Sweden. He graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in Stockholm in 1960 and in 1967 received his PhD entitled ‘On blood volume and working capacity in horses’. Sune pursued an academic career devoted to internal medicine and exercise physiology. He rapidly became Professor of Medicine in 1979 as the veterinary school moved from Stockholm to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala.

Development and Preliminary Evaluation of Student-Authored Electronic Cases

In medical education, virtual patients are now widely used to support and enhance clinical teaching. However, there is still only a limited adoption of similar methods in veterinary education. This paper describes an initiative at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in London to develop student-authored cases during clinical rotations that were subsequently adapted for self-directed learning in the undergraduate curriculum as virtual patients. This approach was designed to enhance the quality of the clinical learning experience, assist in the development of clinical reasoning skills, and complement the existing teaching caseload. The creation of virtual patients involved a two-stage process. In the first stage, students compiled clinical case data and media from patients admitted to the teaching hospitals. They then used these resources to develop electronic cases using a customized Microsoft PowerPoint template that were presented at grand rounds to clinicians and other students. In the second stage, selected cases were further developed with the integration of self-assessment and additional media to create virtual patients for use in teaching. A survey was used to gather feedback on students' experiences in creating and using electronic cases. It was completed by 163 final-year students (81%) and the results indicated that all respondents had created electronic cases on one or more rotations (mean=4.3 rotations, range=1-9). Overall, the feedback suggested that the students found creating and using these cases useful and that the experience improved their approach to a case.

Predictors of Success in a UK Veterinary Medical Undergraduate Course

Admission procedures for veterinary undergraduate training programs often include an interview as well as assessment of previous academic performance. In addition to pre-course factors, within-course factors such as performance in earlier years may play a role in determining success in the veterinary course. This study investigated the relationship between pre-course factors and within-course factors as predictors of success within the course. The study population consisted of six first-year cohorts, five second-year cohorts, four third-year cohorts, three fourth-year cohorts, and two fifth-year cohorts. There were a total of 1,347 students from the five-year Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (BVetMed) program at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). Data from these cohorts consisted of pre-entry demographic (sex, age, and nationality) and admission variables and within-course assessments. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between predictors and outcome. The study confirmed the value of previous academic performance in selecting students for the veterinary degree course but the value of interviews in the selection process was less clear. Within-course examination results were associated with later course outcome and high marks in continuous assessments were associated with overall success in the course. The study supports selection of students on the basis of previous academic performance but not interview scores. Continuous assessment and within-course examination results may be of value in identifying those students most likely to fail and therefore, those who need to be monitored and advised more closely.

Feet first into farm animal practice

The first year in practice is arguably the most challenging, stressful and emotional, says Emily Gascoigne, who qualified in 2012. She has begun her career on a one‐year intern programme with the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and Synergy Farm Health

Postgraduate qualifications through distance learning

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is offering vets the chance to ask questions about enhancing their career and gaining specialist knowledge through its distance learning programmesecord Careers aims to reflect the diverse range of career opportunities available to vets and related professionals. Suggestions for articles are welcome, and should be sent to vetcareerseditorial@bva‐edit.co.uk

Anatomical Sciences Education Vol. 5, Issue 5, 2012 Cover Image

Anatomical Sciences EducationVolume 5, Issue 5 p. C1-C1 Cover ImageFree Access Anatomical Sciences Education Vol. 5, Issue 5, 2012 Cover Image First published: 05 September 2012 https://doi.org/10.1002/ase.1319AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract A group of third-year undergraduate veterinary medicine students with their instructor from the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London in the United Kingdom learn equine anatomy using “Anato-Rug”. This innovative tool depicting topographical anatomy and key areas for lung, heart, and gastrointestinal auscultation on a live horse is described in this issue of ASE. Senior veterinary medicine student, Ms. Francesca Braid and her teachers Drs. Sarah Williams and Renate Weller evaluate the students' perceptions, education outcomes, and benefits in using this low-fidelity simulation tool. Volume5, Issue5September/October 2012Pages C1-C1 RelatedInformation

Successful treatment of a horse with presumed parasitic encephalitis

Summary Verminous myeloencephalitis is a rare, but predominately fatal, cause of neurological disease in horses. A 6-year-old mare was admitted to the Royal Veterinary College Equine Referral Hospital following acute onset of depression, central unilateral blindness and compromised vision in the opposite eye. Based on pronounced eosinophilic inflammation detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and diagnostic imaging findings indicating a space-occupying lesion within the brain, a presumptive diagnosis of aberrant parasitic migration causing parasitic encephalitis was made. Treatment consisted of anti-inflammatories and high doses of an anthelmintic. The horse's condition improved, the neurological deficits and observed space-occupying lesion within the brain resolved completely and the mare returned to full work. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report describing complete recovery from suspected aberrant parasite migration in the CNS and will hopefully encourage treatment of suspected cases in the future.

Development of a curriculum for training in One Health analytical epidemiology at the University of Zambia

Recently, the world has witnessed emergence of novel diseases such as avian influenza, HIV and AIDS, West Nile Virus and Ebola. The evolution of these pathogens has been facilitated mainly by a constantly evolving animal-human interface. Whilst infectious disease control was previously conceptualised as either public health or animal health related issues, the distinction between disciplinary foci have been blurred by multiple causal factors that clearly traverse traditional disciplinary divides. These multiple evolutionary pressures have included changes in land use, ecosystems, human-livestock-wildlife interactions and antibiotic use, representing novel routes for pathogen emergence. With the growing realisation that pathogens do not respect traditional epistemological divides, the ‘One Health’ initiative has emerged to advocate for closer collaboration across the health disciplines and has provided a new agenda for health education. Against this background, the One Health Analytical Epidemiology course was developed under the auspices of the Southern African Centre for Infectious Diseases Surveillance by staff from the University of Zambia with collaborators from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Royal Veterinary College in London. The course is aimed at equipping scientists with multidisciplinary skill sets to match the contemporary challenges of human, animal and zoonotic disease prevention and control. Epidemiology is an important discipline for both public and animal health. Therefore, this two-year programme has been developed to generate a cadre of epidemiologists with a broad understanding of disease control and prevention and will be able to conceptualise and design holistic programs for informing health and disease control policy decisions.

Acknowledgements

The work in the papers and abstracts was supported by Wellcome Trust Grant WT087546MA to the Southern African Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance (http://www.sacids.org) and its collaborating UK partner institutions, namely the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (http://www.lshtm.ac.uk), the Royal Veterinary College (http://www.rvc.ac.uk) and the London International Development Centre (http://www.lidc.org.uk).The work presented by Esron Karimuribo et al. was supported by Rockefeller Foundation.

HOW CHEETAHS OUTPACE GREYHOUNDS

![][1] In a 0–60 mph stand off, most cars would be hard pressed to give a cheetah a run for its money, and at their highest recorded speed of 29 m s–1 (65 mph) cheetahs easily outstrip the fastest greyhounds. But, according to Alan Wilson from the Royal Veterinary College, UK,

Money matters for vet students

Simon Beale, the money and welfare adviser at the Royal Veterinary College, discusses the cost of studying veterinary medicine, the grants and bursaries that are available, and the repayment of loans