Global advocacy, infection control efforts praised by OVMA
Drs. Patricia Lechten and Scott Weese are among the recipients of Ontario Veterinary Medical Association’s awards
February 18, 2021
Patricia Lechten, DVM, is this year’s recipient of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) Outstanding Veterinarian Award.
Photos courtesy OVMA
Three veterinarians and an animal welfare group in Canada’s Heartland Province have been honoured by the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA).
Patricia Lechten, DVM, is this year’s recipient of the
OVMA Outstanding Veterinarian Award, recognizing a professional who has gone above and beyond in the name of animal medicine. A graduate of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Lechten has been the practice owner of Allandale Veterinary Hospital in Barrie, Ont., for the past 30 years, dedicating her career to improving the health and well-being of companion animals.
Using CRISPR gene-editing technology, researchers have produced mosquitoes unable to replicate Zika virus and therefore also unable to infect a human through biting.
In 2016, the World Health Organization called the Zika virus epidemic a “public health emergency of international concern” due to the virus causing birth defects for pregnant women in addition to neurological problems.
Since then, researchers have wrestled with different strategies for controlling the spread of Zika virus, which gets transmitted to humans from female mosquito bites.
One approach, which the Environmental Protection Agency approved in May, will release more than 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes into the Florida Keys in 2021 and 2022. These “suicide mosquitoes” are genetically-altered to produce offspring that die before emerging into adults and therefore cannot bite humans and spread disease.
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IMAGE: Dr. Kerry Karaffa is a MU Counseling Center psychologist embedded within the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. view more
Credit: MU College of Veterinary Medicine
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Kerry Karaffa is the first MU Counseling Center psychologist to be embedded specifically within the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, where he provides tailored counseling services for professional students training to become veterinarians. He is also aware that veterinarians are at increased risk for mental health concerns and suicidality compared to the general public due to the stressful demands of the job.
To help universities better serve students dealing with high levels of stress and anxiety, Karaffa conducted a research study in which he developed and distributed a survey to other counselors specifically embedded in veterinary medical programs at universities throughout the country. He hoped to better understand the benefits the