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Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute teams up with VetNow to expand zoonotic disease surveillance

 VetNow, a virtual care platform that provides veterinary telehealth services, and is collaborating with researchers at the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute to increase disease surveillance.

“To test for animal diseases in the field, VetNow created a custom toolkit comprised of a Bluetooth-enabled stethoscope, digital microscope, electrocardiogram to measure heart activity, and pulse oximeter—a tool that measures the oxygen level in blood. VetNow and Smithsonian scientists will train local veterinarians and community members to use the tools and connect to VetNow’s software platform, where a network of veterinarians, epidemiologists, and public health experts will consult on possible threats.”