Source: Worcester Magazine
Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine highlighted the connections among animal, human, and environmental health during its annual Veterinary Research Day. About 45 students presented research spanning global health, zoonotic diseases, climate change, therapy animal welfare, and other topics.
Several projects focused on Kenya. Researchers Clara Goltz and Ava Van Gelder worked with communities to validate the Community One Health Index, examining human and livestock health, nutrition, food insecurity, and environmental sustainability. Their research found low vaccine adoption and emphasized the importance of trusted community members in improving acceptance. Another project investigated a rapid diagnostic test for Rift Valley Fever, a mosquito- and livestock-borne disease affecting animals and people.
Other research examined the welfare of therapy dogs working with adolescents experiencing anxiety. Researchers emphasized considering the animals’ needs alongside human outcomes. The event demonstrated Veterinary medicine’s broad role in addressing zoonotic disease, climate-related health threats, comparative oncology, and scientific research benefiting both animals and humans.