By Blake Jackson
Over the past two months, Nicholas Wang, a second-year veterinary student, has participated in the daily work of a veterinary nonprofit organization in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The organization works with communities where veterinary services and education are limited, offering practical training to farmers, animal handlers, and veterinarians. International veterinary professionals collaborate with local experts to strengthen animal health practices and improve food-animal production.
Improving Milk Quality
Wang traveled to Mongolia as part of a milk-quality testing project supported in part by Cornell’s Expanding Horizons program. The initiative focused on dairies in and around Ulaanbaatar and Central Tuv province.
Testing milk samples can help identify mastitis, a condition that can reduce milk production and affect the health and welfare of dairy cows when it goes undetected.
The project also addressed a significant information gap because large-scale milk-culture data had not previously been documented for dairies in the area.
Wang worked under the guidance of John and Laurie Day, dairy veterinarians who previously practiced in Idaho and operated a milk-analysis laboratory.
Wang and a small group of Mongolian veterinarians and drivers traveled to farms in a rugged Buhanka van. Because sampling needed to take place before morning milking, the team sometimes left Ulaanbaatar before 4 a.m.
Careful collection procedures were essential to prevent samples from becoming contaminated by dirt, feces, or human contact. After collection, the samples were stored in portable coolers and transported to the main clinic. The team ultimately gathered approximately 300 samples from six dairies, cultured them on bovine blood agar and incubated them using a repurposed refrigerator.
Addressing Foot-and-Mouth Disease
The spread of resistant foot-and-mouth disease strains created an additional challenge. The highly contagious viral disease can affect cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. New cases in several administrative areas led to quarantine measures, travel restrictions and, in some situations, animal culling.
Because of these outbreaks, the milk-testing team had to limit its travel and follow strict biosecurity procedures. Boots, clothing, and equipment were thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after farm visits.
Learning Through Community
Wang also experienced Mongolia’s strong tradition of veterinary education and community cooperation. Visiting veterinarians regularly travel to rural areas to train young animal handlers and local veterinarians, while interns from the countryside participate in postgraduate education in Ulaanbaatar.
During his stay, Wang attended the Naadam festival and spent time with a Mongolian veterinary family in the countryside. He helped milk mares, prepare traditional foods, and herd cattle. The experience offered a close look at rural Mongolian life and highlighted shared connections among people, animals, work and community.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-digitalvision
Categories: New York, Education, Livestock