Brucellosis, a neglected disease endemic to many low- and middle-income countries, may be misdiagnosed as malaria in as many as 7 million cases each year, according to a study in BMC Public Health. Brucellosis and malaria share symptoms such as fever and joint pain, but brucellosis is caused by animal-borne bacteria, not by mosquito-borne parasites. "If we control the disease in animals, we control the disease in humans," veterinary pathologist Angela Arenas said.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is asking the public to report sightings of sick or dead deer to track outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease, which has been confirmed in southeastern Ohio. The disease, transmitted by midge flies, is common among white-tailed deer and leads to high mortality in some areas, although populations typically recover within a few years.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever was reported in dogs in Ontario this year, including in a dog that died, and a human case was recently reported in Quebec in a person who had spent time in the area of Ontario where the infected dogs lived. Canada is becoming a more hospitable habitat for pathogen-carrying ticks than in the past, and pet owners should use preventives and take other precautions with their pets, says veterinarian Scott Weese, director of the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses at the University of Guelph.

HHS has granted the FDA the authority to issue emergency use authorizations for veterinary drugs to treat or prevent screwworm infestations in livestock if needed. The move allows for the use of drugs approved for other purposes or available in other countries, as screwworms have been found in Mexico and are moving toward the US border. Tristan Colonius, chief veterinary officer at the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said the FDA is assessing the potential efficacy of products approved for other uses to identify some that may be effective against screwworms.

Spectral bats, the world's largest carnivorous bat species, are more social than previously believed, according to a study in PLOS One. Observations of a family of four bats in Costa Rica revealed behaviors such as grooming, social vocalizations, hugging, food sharing and cooperative foraging.

A thermal drone operator spotted a dog with its head stuck in a pretzel jar at around 3 a.m. in a cornfield. The dog was taken to a veterinarian, who removed the jar and treated the dog for severe dehydration and a tick infestation.

Getting back into the swing of things at work after a vacation can feel jarring, so give yourself a gentle runway by blocking off the first half of your first day to ease in and get reacquainted with your workload, and use the clarity of time away to audit your calendar and set new priorities, writes speaker and writer Alli Kushner. "Let your team meet the slightly softer, more present version of you. Let your calendar witness you ... rest. Radical, I know," Kushner notes.