Veterinary Public Health (VPH)

The Veterinary Public Health Division (VPH) is a unit of Utrecht University’s interfacultary Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS). Of the three main activities (education, research and public service), the VPH Division is primarily active in monitoring public health in situations where humans are at risk due to contact with animals or consumption of food products such as meat, fish, eggs, milk or cheese.

We provide a variety of services that may be of use for your organisation and we would be happy to provide you with information on our services.

Specialities

The VPH Division has a broad range of specialists in-house.

Our clients increasingly call on us for advice in one of the following areas of expertise:

• Hygiene (protocols, auditing)
• Risk analysis of microbial / non-microbial contaminants in food production
• Food and water microbiology
• Zoonoses
• Relevant legislation and regulations
• Veterinary environmental studies

Clients

Our clients include private companies, consultancy bureaus, marketing boards, zoos and government agencies throughout the Netherlands. We also work internationally for organisations such as the European Union, the FAO, the WHO and a variety of developing countries.

Laboratory research is also a major part of our work

Example: telephone consultation A farmer's wife is pregnant. She usually helps care for the calves and helps in birthing new calves, but is this work healthy in her condition? We advise her on possible infectious diseases, abortifacients, veterinary medicines, cleaning fluids and disinfectants that may pose a risk for her unborn child.

Method

We custom-tailor our work to your individual needs. Some examples of work we have done at our clients' request include:

• Troubleshooting: performing microbiological, chemical and histological analyses and technological experiments
• Inspection of businesses: visual inspection of the process, followed by recommendations for improvement
• Laboratory studies of food, water, manure, soil and waste flows
• Applied research on preservation, cleaning inspections, disinfection, etc.
• Organising theoretical and practical courses and workshops
• Writing articles for trade journals and academic periodicals
• Developing chemical and microbiological analysis techniques
• Drawing up procedures and guidelines [Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) -codes] for safe production of animal-based foods

Product

The type of service provided depends on the needs of the interested parties. Some common services include:

• Consulting in the form of a written report. This can include a confidentiality clause, if desired.
• Consulting in the form of an academic publication in a national or international periodical.
• Telephone consultation for ad hoc problems.
• Participation in a committee or discussion group.
• Lectures (information, discussion, vision).
• Training courses custom-tailored to our clients' needs.

For example: water in the city A risk inventory of various water sources in the Netherlands, including drinking water, surface water, grey water, swimming pools, etc., showed that there are a wide variety of health risks present in water in the Netherlands. One of the consequences of this report to the Institute for Inland Water Management and Waste Water Treatment (RIZA) was the prohibition on the use of grey water in homes, as it poses a public health risk.

Pools of rain water collected in a modern residential neighbourhood contain litter and other pollutants, but they tend to attract children and animals

Educational services

As part of their training, students in the last phase of their education visit companies and institutions with their instructors to learn how they can apply their knowledge and skills to protect and improve public health and welfare.

We can also custom-tailor courses for individuals, small groups or large groups as necessary.

As part of their training, students in the last phase of their education visit companies and institutions with their instructors to learn how they can apply their knowledge and skills to protect and improve public health and welfare.

This allows veterinary medicine students to frequently visit companies where people have direct or indirect contact with animals or animal products. These may include petting zoos, farms, zoos, kitchens, veterinarian offices, shelters, etc. During these visits, the students perform a general visual inspection of the facility, discuss elements of the process and take samples from the surroundings to test for the presence of pathogens that may be relevant for the prevention of diseases in humans.

After the visit, the students write a report on the results of their inspection and their recommendations. This report is then presented to the company without obligation. Over the past few years, our cooperation with businesses has proven to be a great success; partly because it gives students the opportunity to become acquainted with real-life problems and issues in society, and partly because businesses and institutions greatly appreciate the opportunity to take advantage of the division’s expertise.

Rates

The rates billed for services provided cover the costs of providing the service. If the assignment can be used for educational purposes, then the opportunities for the students to practice will be deducted from the total costs, making our services even more attractive financially. Naturally, we will provide you with an estimate beforehand so that you won't be faced with unexpected costs.

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