scholarly journals A brief overview of the history of veterinary field services in South Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gideon K. Brückner
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Colonial History ◽  
Veterinary Services ◽  
Animal Diseases ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
History Of ◽  
Basic And Applied Research ◽  
The Times ◽  
Health Legislation

The historical evolution of veterinary services in South Africa is closely linked to the colonial history of the past and the eventual political formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, as well as the establishment of a fully democratic South Africa in 1994. The majority of the early pioneering veterinarians had close links to military activities and were originally mostly of British origin. The appointment of the first colonial chief veterinary officers occurred in the late 1800s. These appointments were dictated by the need to combat devastating animal diseases, such as rinderpest and African horse sickness, mainly because they affected draught oxen (used for travel) and horses (used in combat). Veterinary field services was established in 1962 as a separate functional entity within government services when M.C. Lambrechts became Director of Veterinary Services of South Africa. In the context of this article, veterinary field services refers to that sphere of veterinary service delivery conducted by government-appointed or seconded veterinarians applying disease control and prevention, as required by animal health legislation. Paging through the history of veterinary field services in South Africa confirms that the problems faced by the veterinary services of today were just as real during the times of our pioneers. The pioneers of veterinary services transformed unknown animal diseases into textbook descriptions still used today and also demonstrated the important link to, and use of, the observations made by farmers, as well as the need for continued basic and applied research on animal diseases. This article provided a brief overview of the evolution of veterinary field services and the important role played by pioneers over the last two centuries to make South Africa relatively free and safe from the most important trade-sensitive and economically important animal diseases.

scholarly journals Overview of the perceived risk of transboundary pig diseases in South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Japhta M. Mokoele ◽  
Leana Janse van Rensburg ◽  
Shanie Van Lochem ◽  
Heinz Bodenstein ◽  
Jacolette Du Plessis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Health Service Delivery ◽  
Scenario Tree ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Veterinary Services ◽  
African Region

Pig production is one of the most important animal agricultural activities in South Africa, and plays a definite role in providing food security for certain population groups in the country. As with all animal production systems, it is subject to the risk of outbreak of transboundary diseases. In the present overview, evaluations of the perceived risk of selected transboundary animal diseases of pigs, as collated from the willing participants from the provincial veterinary services of South Africa, are presented. A scenario tree revealed that infected but undetected pigs were the greatest perceived threat. The provincial veterinary services, according to participants in the study, face certain difficulties, including the reporting of disease and the flow of disease information amongst farmers. Perceived strengths in surveillance and disease monitoring include the swiftness of sample despatch to the national testing laboratory, as well as the ease of flow of information between the provincial and national agricultural authorities. The four factors were identified that were perceived to most influence animal health-service delivery: transport, access, livestock policy and resources. African swine fever was perceived to be the most important pig disease in South Africa. Because the decentralisation of veterinary services in South Africa was identified as a potential weakness, it is recommended that national and provincial veterinary services need to work together and interdependently to achieve centrally controlled surveillance systems. Regionally-coordinated surveillance activities for certain transboundary diseases were identified as needing priority for the southern African region. It is proposed that an emergency preparedness document be made available and regularly revised according to the potential risks identified on a continuous basis for South Africa.

scholarly journals A brief history of AAHL

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 210
Author(s):  
Paul Selleck
Keyword(s):  
Disease Control ◽  
Proficiency Testing ◽  
One Health ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Reference Laboratory ◽  
International Reference ◽  
Animal Diseases ◽  
Diagnostic Facility ◽  
History Of ◽  
Exotic Animal

The CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) was officially opened on 1 April 1985. After that day the laboratory switched to secure mode and has operated as such ever since. AAHL was constructed to be the primary national diagnostic facility for exotic animal diseases but has expanded its role to become a national and international reference laboratory for many diseases. AAHL has supported disease control within the region by providing training, reagents and proficiency testing, both within Australia and internationally. AAHL’s role has evolved even further to include a focus on one-health which resulted in AAHL being renamed the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) in March 2020.

scholarly journals Participatory rural appraisal to investigate constraints in reporting cattle mortalities in the Odi district of North West Province, South Africa

2005 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
C.N. Makgatho ◽  
C.M.E. McCrindle ◽  
J.H. Owen
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Causes Of Death ◽  
Participatory Rural Appraisal ◽  
The State ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Veterinary Services ◽  
North West ◽  
Animal Diseases ◽  
North West Province ◽  
Rural Appraisal

Mortalities in cattle can have severe financial implications for small scale and communal farmers in South Africa. They could also be a measurable indicator for surveillance of animal diseases, such as those listed by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), or diseases included in the regulations of the South African Animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act 35 of 1984). In order to prevent further mortalities and for accurate surveillance and monitoring of diseases, it is important that farmers participate in the determination of causes of mortality in their cattle. This paper reports on constraints of the reporting diseases to the state veterinary services, the study area being Odi district, in the North West Province. The method that was followed was based on participatory rural appraisal. The selected cattle owners participated in every phase. They were the ones who first spoke to veterinary services about ways to decrease the diseases and mortalities of their cattle. A questionnaire to verify the facts complemented the survey. A total number of 60 farmers were randomly selected from 12 villages. One farmer withdrew, leaving 59 farmers. Most of the farmers in the study were men (n = 55). The area of study was communal and the farming system traditional and extensive. It was suspected that there was a communication problem and this was proven by the results of the research, as 23 farmers were not even aware that mortalities have to be reported by law. The real problem was that causes of death were not being diagnosed because farmers were not aware that a necropsy could give information on the causes of death. Farmers were keen to receive training in elementary necropsy techniques so as to be able to discuss the cause of death of cattle with the state veterinarian.

Government Gazettes for Northern Rhodesia

1989 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 397-400
Author(s):  
Andrew Roberts
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Colonial History ◽  
Official Gazette ◽  
High Commissioner ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
History Of ◽  
Types Of Information ◽  
North Western ◽  
White Settlement ◽  
Colonial Office

Government Gazettes are a neglected source for the colonial history of Africa, and it may be worthwhile to draw attention to various types of information to be found in those for Northern Rhodesia, which have recently been made available on microfilm.Up to 1911 the British South Africa Company administered two territories north of the Zambezi: North-Eastern Rhodesia and North-Western Rhodesia. For North-Eastern Rhodesia the Company published at Fort Jameson (now Chipata) a monthly Government Gazette from 1903 to 1911. There was no Gazette for North-Western Rhodesia; legislation for this territory was initially published in the Official Gazette of the High Commissioner for South Africa, though some relevant proclamations and government notices were reprinted in the North-Eastern Rhodesia Gazette. From 1911 the Company published a Government Gazette for the amalgamated territory of Northern Rhodesia; the frequency varied between twelve and twenty issues a year. In 1924 the Colonial Office took over responsibility for Northern Rhodesia. Thereafter the frequency of publication tended to increase, reflecting the growth of government, business, and white settlement. Before 1939 it ranged between 24 and 50 issues a year, and from 1939 to independence in 1964, between 50 and 80 a year.

scholarly journals History of Orbivirus research in South Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel W. Verwoerd
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
Diagnostic Techniques ◽  
Immune Serum ◽  
Colonial History ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Early Colonial ◽  
Late 18Th Century ◽  
History Of ◽  
Viral Nature

In the early colonial history of South Africa, horses played an important role, both in general transportation and in military operations. Frequent epidemics of African horsesickness (AHS) in the 18th century therefore severely affected the economy. The first scientific research on the disease was carried out by Alexander Edington (1892), the first government bacteriologist of the Cape Colony, who resolved the existing confusion that reigned and established its identity as a separate disease. Bluetongue (BT) was described for the first time by Duncan Hutcheon in 1880, although it was probably always endemic in wild ruminants and only became a problem when highly susceptible Merino sheep were introduced to the Cape in the late 18th century. The filterability of the AHS virus (AHSV) was demonstrated in 1900 by M’Fadyean in London, and that of the BT virus (BTV) in 1905 by Theiler at Onderstepoort, thus proving the viral nature of both agents. Theiler developed the first vaccines for both diseases at Onderstepoort. Both vaccines consisted of infective blood followed by hyper-immune serum, and were used for many years. Subsequent breakthroughs include the adaptation to propagation and attenuation in embryonated eggs in the case of BTV and in mouse brains for AHSV. This was followed by the discovery of multiple serotypes of both viruses, the transmission of both by Culicoides midges and their eventual replication in cell cultures. Molecular studies led to the discovery of the segmented double-stranded RNA genomes, thus proving their genetic relationship and leading to their classification in a genus called Orbivirus. Further work included the molecular cloning of the genes of all the serotypes of both viruses and clarification of their relationship to the viral proteins, which led to much improved diagnostic techniques and eventually to the development of a recombinant vaccine, which unfortunately has so far been unsuitable for mass production.

Oswin Boys Bull and the Emergence of Southern African ‘Nonwhite’ YMCA Work

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 212-230
Author(s):  
David Anthony
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Mixed Race ◽  
The South ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Primary Responsibility ◽  
History Of ◽  
African Youth ◽  
Local Opposition ◽  
The Times

AbstractFrom 1908 to 1922, Oswin Boys Bull (1882–1971) had the primary responsibility for supervising the recruitment of African youth and students into the South African SCA and YMCA. Following the lead of overseas sojourners Luther Wishard and Donald Fraser in 1895 and John R. Mott and Ruth Rouse in 1906, Bull took his experience as a Jesus College, Cambridge classics and theology major and sportsperson into the challenging religious, racial and ethnic field of the Union of South Africa. Bringing a mix of strong spiritual roots and an unwavering commitment to the racially inclusive interpretation of Christianity, Bull blazed a trail that earned him the reputation of a pioneer ecumenist.Ably assisted by illustrious Xhosa-speaking intellectual and seasoned Christian proselytizer John Knox Bokwe, Bull made inroads into areas previously ignored by his predecessors. With a reach extending as far as neighboring historic Basutoland, Bull's efforts resulted in the establishment of branch associations in a variety of rural and urban locations. In spite of local opposition and tremendous geographical, linguistic, social and political barriers, Bull applied himself to the task of providing a firm foundation for Black and Mixed Race SCA and YMCA members to find places in previously lily-white bodies.Understanding both his limits as well as his capabilities, Bull's generosity allowed him to share the spotlight with other evangelists. His correspondence with YMCA leader John Mott demonstrates a humble willingness to see the task of ‘nonwhite’ inclusion in SCA and YMCA work to the end. By the time Max Yergan, the first permanent YMCA and SCA secretary arrived in South Africa early in 1922, Bull was able to delegate most of the duties that required a field secretary to him, satisfied that he could concentrate on the remainder of his managerial duties from the YMCA and SCA center, in Cape Town and Stellenbosch, respectively. Already fluent in Afrikaans, Bull's history of attempting to build bridges between competing and often hostile populations set the standard for the type of leadership that a complex, extremely ethnically and religiously particularistic society like South Africa would need to construct a broadly based national movement.Although O.B. Bull is known only to readers of Alan Paton's Hofmeyr, and those involved in the institutions with which he was associated, most notably, St Edmunds School, Jesus College, Cambridge, the Scriptural Union and the South African SCA and YMCA, it may now be possible for later generations to revisit the times in which he lived and worked to regain a sense of the odds against which he struggled and the resolve he showed in striving first to dream of and then fight for a more inclusive Southern African YMCA.While he was by no means perfect and was clearly himself a product of his place and time, his quests for something better within himself and his adopted country were noble.

scholarly journals The history of the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases (CRWAD) 1920–2014

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-192
Author(s):  
Robert P. Ellis ◽  
L. Susanne Squires Ellis ◽  
Erwin M. Kohler
Keyword(s):  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Research Administration ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Animal Diseases ◽  
History Of ◽  
On Line ◽  
Line Meeting ◽  
Academic Professionals

AbstractThe following history has been compiled and written by the authors. The historical facts are available from the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases (CRWAD) archives, dating back to letters and summaries written by the founders, and by a few of the Secretary-Treasurers from the early decades through 2014. The Organization and Purpose: The CRWAD is a non-profit organization and has been since its origin. The sole purpose of CRWAD is to discuss and disseminate the most current research advances in animal diseases. Graduate students and industry and academic professionals present and discuss the most recent advances on subjects of interest to the CRWAD and of importance to the global livestock and companion animal industries. The oral and poster abstracts of new and unpublished data presented at the meeting sessions are published each year in the CRWAD Proceedings (formerly the CRWAD Abstracts). CRWAD publishes, copyrights, and distributes the Proceedings. The presentations are arranged into the following 10 sections, according to the primary topic of the presentation: Bacterial Pathogenesis, Biosafety and Biosecurity, Companion Animal Epidemiology, Ecology and Management of Foodborne Agents, Epidemiology and Animal Health Economics, Immunology, Pathobiology of Enteric and Foodborne Pathogens, Respiratory Diseases, Vector-Borne and Parasitic Diseases, and Viral Pathogenesis. Prospective members should be actively engaged in animal disease research or research administration. Meeting information and membership applications may be obtained by contacting the Executive Director or by visiting the CRWAD website. Annual abstracts are currently available on-line at the On-line Meeting Planner and Itinerary Builder, with access through the CRWAD website.

scholarly journals Field services : eradication and control of animal diseases : animal health management in the 21st century

2009 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
B.M. Modisane
Keyword(s):  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Movement Control ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Veterinary Services ◽  
Political Will ◽  
Animal Diseases ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
And Control

Prevention, eradication and control of animal diseases, as well as public health assurance are major functions of veterinary authorities. The strategies to control animal diseases differ from disease to disease but are often similar on a disease basis from country to country depending on the main objective of the measure employed. These measures include among others movement control and quarantine, vaccination, treatment and mass slaughtering. However, not every country uses all these control measures at the same time. A combination of measures may be employed to avoid spreading of the disease from infected to clean animals and success is dependent on a variety of factors, including the strength and capacity of the veterinary services, cross border efforts for disease surveillance, political will, diagnostic facilities and financial support.

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