LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) – Dr. Ron Warner, KCBD\u2019s longtime expert on mosquito diseases, has published a book about his veterinary career spanning nearly three decades.<\/p>\n
Warner provided expert advice in 32 Healthwise segments over the years, including coverage of the Zika virus outbreak 10 years ago. During that time, he reassured viewers that local Aedes mosquitoes were not infected with Zika.<\/p>\n
The recently retired Texas Tech Health Sciences Center instructor has written \u201cPigs, Pets and Public Health: One Veterinarian\u2019s Journey<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a labor of love. It took me about 30 months,\u201d Warner said.<\/p>\n From farm to veterinary school<\/p>\n Warner\u2019s journey began on his family farm in a small Ohio town, where he witnessed his first veterinary miracle at age 6. He watched a veterinarian inject a sick dairy cow with something that saved her from milk fever.<\/p>\n \u201cIn 25 minutes, she\u2019s able to stand. She allows her calf to come up and nurse and I say that\u2019s a miracle. I need to learn how to do that,\u201d Warner said.<\/p>\n Warner began his career as a veterinarian before earning additional degrees in public health and epidemiology. He taught epidemiology to the first two classes at the veterinary school in Amarillo.<\/p>\n \u201cNever did I imagine that I would help found a veterinary school in Amarillo,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Broad medical training<\/p>\n Warner said veterinary medicine is considered a \u201cone health provider\u201d because human health and animal health overlap in many ways.<\/p>\n \u201cSo many people today have no real good idea of what it takes to put bacon in a package and unwrap that and fry it. Or the eggs from the carton. You know they don\u2019t understand all that\u2019s behind that. All the disease prevention,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He said veterinary medicine is the broadest medical degree available.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to understand the anatomy of seven different species at least. Dogs, cats, cows, horses, sheep, swine and poultry. That\u2019s a lot of anatomy,\u201d Warner said.<\/p>\n