History of veterinary public health in the United States of America.

Animal medicine, human medicine and public health have been associated ever since sheep, goats, cattle, horses, dogs, cats and other animals were first domesticated to serve the needs of society. The more recent history of veterinary public health (VPH) in Europe has seen developments through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and the beginning of modern conceptions of VPH. The recognition of animal disease problems as they have affected public health in the Americas carries the reader forward into the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Advances made in public health and veterinary medicine in the latter years are reviewed, together with the way in which they have benefited both humans and animals. For the period since 1945, the article reviews the organization of VPH in national governments and international agencies, i.e. the World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). These international health agencies have promoted VPH in national governments. Some of the leaders are recognized for their contributions.