Disaster Medicine: Implementation of an animal health database in response to the 2018 California Camp Fire.

This study describes the implementation and utility of an animal health database to facilitate disaster response, using the example of the 2018 California Camp Fire. It demonstrates how such a database can help track animal injuries, illnesses, and behavior during disasters, as well as assisting in response improvement.

Methods

• The research involved recording veterinary medical entries for 206 evacuated or rescued animals of different species, excluding cats and dogs. These animals were temporarily housed at the Butte County fairgrounds in Gridley, California.
• The animal species in the case study included avian, bovine, camelid, caprine, equine, ovine, and porcine species.
• Data was systematically collected by volunteers from the University of California-Davis Veterinary Emergency Response Team during triage and treatment.
• This data was entered into a dedicated database and analyzed using Multiple correspondence analysis to investigate associations between patient species, types and severity of injuries, and behavior.

Results

• The most prevalent injuries and illnesses among the overall shelter population in the first 12 days of the Campfire were burns, respiratory disease, gastrointestinal illnesses, and lacerations.
• Ovine patients were more likely to suffer from respiratory illnesses, whereas equine patients predominantly suffered from lacerations and gastrointestinal conditions.
• Severe burns were most common among porcine, camelid, and avian species.
• The temporal distribution of cases suggested immediate evacuation of equines, but delayed movement of bovine and avian species to the shelter.

Conclusions

• The collection of animal health information through the database provided valuable insights into prevalent medical conditions among various farm animals following a wildfire.
• Adapting this database to other disasters could significantly improve emergency response protocols by enabling better management of resources and facilitating a retrospective assessment for response improvement.