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Show March 16. 1979 HILL TOP TIMES Page 11 Disease control, animal clinic are Vet duties Control of communicable disease is also a major function of the base veterinarian service. Dr. Mammeli is the Medical Intelligence Officer for the Base Hospital. Disease control "We work closely with the Base Hospital, USAF Epidemiological Division, and the county and state medical people in trying to control disease," Dr. Mammeli stated. il Sometimes diseases tie into the family pets and the animals have to be examined. w) "Often there is a ping pong effect in that everyone in a family gets a disease, like strep throat, that bounces back and forth through the family and chances are good that the family pet is the guilty culprit contaminating the family or at least keeping the germs bouncing from one family member to another," he suggested. Bouncing germs X) The Base Veterinarian keeps records of communicable diseases and maintains a threshold significant number of a and cooperates with local malady, and the potential effect and Air Force disease control officials. Dr. Mammeli noted that the base threshold for flu is 23 and in . December that point was surpassed. J , "Sometimes a disease breaks first at Hill, sometimes it hits first in the county. Like chicken pox hit heavy here recently, so I called the Davis County medical people who said they had none reported. The following week, they called to say chicken pox had really broken loose," the base veterinarian recalled. Normally bacteriological isolation is done at the Hill Hospital lab, but in viral determinations they are sent to the state or USAF Epidemiological Division, Brooks AFB, Tex., labs to run, the tests. hZZZZ the Dr. Mammeli, During the interview with to what Division learn doctor called at Brooks Epidemiological was being done at Hill regarding the flu which had reached the threshold. Dr. Mammeli explained, "We are initiating Project Project Gargle Gargle." Gargle is a program suggested by the Epidemiological Division where throat washings are taken and sent to Brooks where tests are run to determine the type of virus. Last year the Russian virus was the culprit. - Project v.. I Ouch SMSgf. OZf WoodliH seems fo fee fie siof more ficrn one of ns throe dachshunds that received Immunizations at the base veterinarian clinic during a typical Tuesday small animal clinic day. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Ken Burt) Animal clinic Rabies control and treatment of small pets is an important aspect of the base veterinarian service, but takes less than 10 percent of the base vets' time. Small animal clinic is held each Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 10 a .m. and from 12 : 30 to 2 p. m . When an animal bites someone on base, the base vet gets into the act. "Normally we ask the owner of an animal that bites someone to quarantine it for 10 days in the home and we check it twice during this time," the major said. He estimated that there is an average of from 12 to 15 animal bites here each month. Carpenter ants One of the more interesting incidents that occurred at Hill happened about a year ago when the base veterinarian worked with the Department of Agriculture to eliminate carpenter ants that came in with 388th personnel who were on a Cope Elite exercise. "Fortunately, we were able to get the ants under control and 388th back in the sky in short order," Dr. Mammeli commented. the ' ' r v "' ri3 r'rr ,x veterinarian clinic to Sgt. John Cope looks through the microscope at the base examine a specimen for Internal parasites. Controlling communicable diseases Is a Susan Hawn) large portion of the "base vet's" dally duties. (U.S. Air Force Photo by r So whether it is people, animals or food at Hill, sooner or later the base veterinarian comes in contact with most of all three. . |