Tracking Infectious Disease After Katrina

When Hurricane Katrina devastated communities along the coast, rescue organizations from across the country stepped in to support displaced companion animals.  But testing nearly 500 animals revealed infectious disease concerns in animals that were transported nationwide.  This article in DVM360 highlights our study and explores issues of inter-regional rescue and transport.  Says MSMP program director Dr. Julie Levy, “This can be done safely, but it needs to be organized and supervised by veterinarians with shelter medicine knowledge.”