By Johan Coetsee
Accurate disease diagnosis in cattle and other livestock is crucial for timely treatment and reducing mortality. Early diagnosis not only helps prevent losses but also saves farmers significant costs.
“South Africa produces high-quality weaners, which is especially important for export. Maintaining consistently high animal health standards is therefore essential,” Prof Leon Prozesky said during an animal production seminar in Malmesbury.
Prof Prozesky, a respected expert in veterinary science and animal pathology, was a guest speaker at the seminar, hosted by the animal production and nutrition company Octavoscene.
The control and monitoring of livestock diseases in South Africa have declined in recent years. With food safety more critical than ever, effective disease surveillance has become increasingly urgent.
Farmers often argue that thorough disease monitoring is too costly, but they should consider the financial impact of failing to diagnose diseases in time, Prof Prozesky said. Accurate and timely diagnoses can prevent significant losses.
For example, a diarrhoea outbreak among calves can quickly become a nightmare. Identifying the cause – such as E. coli – is essential to ensure that the right antibiotics are administered promptly.
Once certain diseases take hold in a herd, controlling them becomes significantly more difficult and costly. Infectious diseases are especially challenging to manage in intensive farming systems compared to extensive farming. Contaminated water is often a major source of various diseases.
Prof Prozesky noted that various methods have been developed to provide farmers with early insights into the health status of their herds. While new technology continues to emerge, there remains a need for more diagnostic laboratories to identify different disease conditions.
He emphasised that accurate diagnoses require thorough pathological examinations and high-quality samples submitted to laboratories.
