Local
Delta Air Lines to ban “pit bull type” dogs as service and support animals on flights
Delta Air Lines announced that it will be banning “pit bull type” dogs as service dogs and support animals on its flights starting July 10. It will also limit each customer to one support animal per flight.
Consult Delta Air Lines Service Animal Policy for more in-depth information.
The airline said that it decided on such a policy after growing safety concerns after several incidents in which employees were bitten as well as other problems.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) International Airport is a hub of Delta Airlines (PDF). Travelers through MSP with “pit bull type” service dogs will need to consider using a non-hub airline. Unfortunately, flying with non-hub airline to and from MSP likely means a layover will be involved if the final destination is not a hub airport for the alternative airline.
Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) News
National
Shortage of veterinarians in rural areas increases risks
Veterinarians are key to many different aspects of animal, human, and environmental health such as early disease detection and outbreak prevention.
Unfortunately, there has been a shortage of veterinarians in many rural areas of the United States, which poses many health risks and concerns.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has identified 187 areas, mostly rural, within the U.S. that lack sufficient access to a veterinarian.
In response to the rural shortage of veterinarians, the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) created the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP). If a veterinarian commits to providing veterinary services in a designated shortage area for at least 3 years, NIFA may pay up to $25,000 in student loan debt per year. The application cycle will next open sometime in 2019.
National Public Radio (NPR) News
International
Alarming food insecurity in North Korea
One of the most recent famines to strike North Korea occurred in the 1990’s when a combination of drought, flooding, and government mismanagement destroyed food production in the country and caused mass deaths. The death toll from the famine in the 1990’s ranges somewhere between 240,000 to 2 million people.
The situation has since improved, however, based on agricultural analysis and food aid needs, it is believed that North Korea is still unable to feed its population. Evidence from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) support these claims.
FAO reported that two out of 5 North Koreans are malnourished (PDF). Meanwhile, WHO reported that 28% of North Korean children have stunted growth.
It remains unknown what the future of food security will be for the people of North Korea despite a recent meeting between U.S. President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jung Un where they dined on beef short ribs and avocado salad.
Jonathan Chapman
Jonathan was a VPHPM resident from 2016-2018. He is a licensed veterinarian with a career focus on veterinary public health, epidemiology, zoonotic disease, and One Health. He has been involved in a broad range of activities ranging from small animal general practice and emergency medicine to disease surveillance and outbreak investigation. Jonathan hopes to continue to promote medicine, public health, education, and local and international community collaboration around the world. Jonathan is originally from Chicago, Illinois and he has spent time living in St. Kitts, West Indies and San Juan, Puerto Rico. He has 2 Golden Retrievers named Bauer and Nikki and 3 cats named Sienna, Simon, and Conchita.