( Public health experts in the US are rin...)Shortage of Veterinarians Worry Public Health Experts in US,Health

Public health experts in the US are ringing alarm bells over a looming shortage of farm animal veterinarians. The shortage is arising at a time of continued outbreaks among// animals potentially endangering human health and risking the nation's food supply, they warn.

At the moment though, the American Veterinary Medical Association estimates the shortage at a relatively small 4 percent. But the point is even the small gap increases the potential for diseases to go undetected.

"It's not like the other 96 percent can pick up the slack," said Dr. Lyle Vogel, director of the animal welfare division at the association, which used surveys to estimate the shortage. "Because of the distances and workload of the remaining veterinarians they just can't fill in that shortage."

Concerns have centered on more than 800 diseases that can spread from animals to humans, such as salmonella and E.coli. Experts also fear an inability to quickly diagnose conditions like foot and mouth disease and avian flu, said Robin Schoen, director of the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources at the National Academy of Sciences.

"We're kind of weakening the whole system," Schoen said. "The veterinarian is the front line."

With fewer veterinarians, more duties are falling to farmers and ranchers, who often vaccinate animals, diagnose illnesses and administer antibiotics. Vets typically offer some training and do-it-yourself medicine can cut costs, but some worry that the long-term result will be an inability to detect diseases early or address outbreaks, especially in remote areas.

Experts said the veterinarian shortage could lead to several troubling scenarios:

? Salmonella in an untreated dairy herd could be spread by workers who come into contact with feces. Similarly, people who defeather or slaughter chickens infected with a certain strain of avian flu could get others sick.

? Diseases like anthrax are hard to
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