Instructional videos could oust outbreaks

Ithaca, N.Y.

-- A new, free tool, produced by Partners in Animal Health at Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine, aims to minimize animal disease outbreaks by helping veterinarians and farmers diagnose poultry diseases more quickly.

Poultry Examination and Diagnostics, a three-hour instructional video series and interactive diagnostic tool, was produced by veterinarians at the College and funded with an educational contract with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The multimedia resource will improve diagnostic speed, accuracy, and disease response in poultry, according to Dr. Jodi Korich, director of Partners in Animal Health.

In an effort to help protect global food supplies, these training materials are being distributed by the USDA in many developing nations throughout Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

"In economically-challenged regions of the world, poultry flocks of all sizes play a vital role in feeding large numbers of people," says Dr. Alfonso Torres, former U.S. chief veterinary officer and associate dean for public policy at Cornell. "Unfortunately, veterinarians in most developing nations typically have limited access to educational information. With Poultry Examination and Diagnostics, Cornell and the USDA have provided educational resources that can help ensure better veterinary healthcare to flocks of all sizes."

The resource is available through Cornell's Partners in Animal Health Web site. The information also is available on a three-disc DVD set that can be installed on a laptop computer and used in the field.