Wyoming Department of Health

Public Health and Terrorism Preparedness

Wyoming Regional Veterinary Coordinators

Contact Us:

State Public Health Veterinarian
6101 Yellowstone Rd.
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-5825
(307) 421-8591
Fax: (307) 777-5402
Email Us

Wyoming Regional Veterinary Public Health Coordinators

Karl Musgrave, State Public Health Veterinarian

The primary responsibility of the Regional Veterinary Public Health Coordinators (RVPHCs) is to conduct active surveillance in their regions on adverse health events in animals that could impact public health. The RVPHCs accomplish this by contacting veterinary clinics in their region by personal visit, phone, fax, or e-mail each week to collect information on adverse events seen over the past seven days. Information is collected on any situation seen by veterinarians in animals that could impact public health including confirmed or suspected zoonotic diseases.

Diseases that are common to both humans and animals but are not transmitted between the two populations are also reported. Active surveillance is also conducted for environmental exposures, poisonings, undiagnosed illness syndromes, wild animal die-offs, and injuries. Information collected by the RVPHCs is reported to the state public health veterinarian who in-turn presents this information at the Department of Health’s Monday morning public health rounds. Possible links between adverse health events seen in animals and in humans are discussed and further investigation and/or preventive interventions are initiated.

Additional work can involve leading or assisting in field investigations and interventions to prevent the spread of animal diseases; coordinating the veterinary aspects of local planning where there are public health implications including giving informational presentations and trainings to appropriate groups; and serving as a veterinary member on Wyoming Office of Homeland Security Regional Response Teams.

As an example of the types of information collected by the surveillance program, during September and October of 2007 information was collected on feline ringworm cases that had spread to humans, cases of tularemia in cats, a large bird die-off in Goshen County, a cat with mycobacterium avium, chronic wasting disease in deer in a new area of Wyoming, sheep with contagious ecthyma, a large die-off of sheep and antelope in Big Horn County (turned out to be due to bluetongue, a non-zoonotic disease), possible methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureaus cases in small animals, issues with law enforcement and rabies control, problems dealing with cattle truck accidents and cattle loose on the highway, and a suspected case of anthrax in a Torrington cow (test later showed the cow was negative for anthrax).

Zoonotic Disease/Adverse Health Events Reports from Wyoming Regional Veterinary Public Health Coordinators:

Report for Week Ending 8/22/08

Report for Week ending 8/15/08

Report for Week Ending 8/8/08

Report for Week Ending 8/1/08

Report for Week Ending 7/25/08

Report for Week Ending 7/18/08

Report for Week Ending 7/11/08

Report for Week Ending 7/4/08

Report for Week Ending 6/27/08

Report for Week Ending 6/20/08

Report for Week Ending 6/13/08