Although cadaveric dissection has historically been the cornerstone of anatomical education, it comes at the cost of some emotional, moral, safety, and environmental concerns. Computer assisted learning (CAL) programs are an increasingly common solution to these issues; however, research regarding the efficacy of high fidelity simulation is limited. The traditional first semester veterinary gross anatomy course curriculum at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) was supplemented with a web based virtual anatomy program, IVALA™ (www.ivalalearn.com). The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between supplementary use of the IVALA™ program and student examination scores, and to measure student perception surrounding IVALA™. IVALA™ uses an interactive virtual canine specimen that enables students to identify, move, rotate, magnify, and remove individual anatomic structures while providing a text description of each selected anatomic point. Fifty-six first semester RUSVM students who supplemented their anatomic learning with the IVALA™ program performed significantly higher on examinations compared to students (n = 123) that did not (p = 0.003). Students’ overall perception toward IVALA™ was enjoyable (mean = 3.8 out of a 5-point Likert scale) and beneficial to their knowledge of anatomy (mean = 3.7); however, students did not support replacing cadaveric dissection with CAL (mean = 2.1). CAL can effectively supplement learning outcomes for veterinary anatomy.

To achieve global elimination of human rabies from dogs by 2030, evidence-based strategies for effective dog vaccination are needed. Current guidelines recommend inclusion of dogs younger than 3 months in mass rabies vaccination campaigns, although available vaccines are only recommended for use by manufacturers in older dogs, ostensibly due to concerns over interference of maternally-acquired immunity with immune response to the vaccine. Adverse effects of vaccination in this age group of dogs have also not been adequately assessed under field conditions. In a single-site, owner-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in puppies born to mothers vaccinated within the previous 18 months in a high-mortality population of owned, free-roaming dogs in South Africa, we assessed immunogenicity and effect on survival to all causes of mortality of a single dose of rabies vaccine administered at 6 weeks of age. We found that puppies did not have appreciable levels of maternally-derived antibodies at 6 weeks of age (geometric mean titer 0.065 IU/mL, 95% CI 0.061–0.069; n = 346), and that 88% (95% CI 80.7–93.3) of puppies vaccinated at 6 weeks had titers ≥0.5 IU/mL 21 days later (n = 117). Although the average effect of vaccination on survival was not statistically significant (hazard ratio [HR] 1.35, 95% CI 0.83–2.18), this effect was modified by sex (p = 0.02), with the HR in females 3.09 (95% CI 1.24–7.69) and the HR in males 0.79 (95% CI 0.41–1.53). We speculate that this effect is related to the observed survival advantage that females had over males in the unvaccinated group (HR 0.27; 95% CI 0.11–0.70), with vaccination eroding this advantage through as-yet-unknown mechanisms.

Coxiella burnetii is a ubiquitous zoonotic bacterium reported worldwide that causes Q-fever. Infections result in profound economic losses to livestock producers by causing abortions and low birth weights. Current information about the disease in the Caribbean region is scarce. With multiple small islands and territories, it is often considered that the bacterium is absent or circulates at a low prevalence. Our study aimed to determine whether sheep and cattle housed at a veterinary campus in St Kitts had previous exposure to C. burnetii. Blood samples were taken from cattle (n = 63; 72% of the herd) and sheep (n = 133; 71% of the flock). Antibodies to C. burnetii were detected by a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IDvet® ELISA) test. The seroprevalence was estimated at 26.3% (95% CI: 19.1–34.7%) in sheep and 0% (95% CI: 0–5.7%) in cattle. Sheep importation to St. Kitts is very rare, thus, these results suggest that C. burnetii is present on the island. The seronegativity of all the cattle highlights the absence of the bacterium on the veterinary campus. The high seroprevalence in sheep, however, has potentially important implications for animal health and public health as well as for wildlife conservation. Further investigation about animal seroprevalence and human exposure are warranted in St. Kitts and in the Caribbean region.