Question: There have been recent media reports about deaths from Listeriosis in people in South Africa. Does the disease also occur in animals? Listeriosis does occur in animals and is caused by a bacterium [germ] called Listeria monocytogenes. Three syndromes occur, and these are meningitis and encephalitis, abortions or still-births, and…
Dr Edson Ncube: Agricultural Research Council - Grain Crops, Potchefstroom Mycotoxins are by-products of fungal growth that can survive various forms of heat treatment and they are harmful to both humans and animals. Fungal species such as Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium infect grain crops such as maize, groundnut and sorghum…
The beginning of the rainy season also means farmers should expect an increase in several animal diseases. The latest monthly report of the Ruminant Veterinary Association of South Africa’s (RuVasa), compiled by dr. Faffa Malan, indicates that as soon as rainfall increases, problems with parasites will follow suit. Farmers are…
This five-point assessment method allows farmers to identify several diseases and parasites in their small livestock. This enables you to diagnose and prevent diseases and death on your farm. 1. NOSE AREA Nasal discharge By checking the nose, you can immediately see if there are any sign of nasal worm…
An outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) has been recorded in the Chavuma, Kabompo and Zambezi districts in the North Western Province, reported the Zambian National Broadcasting Corporation. Government has since acquired vaccines for the disease. According to Creavat Chituta of the National Agricultural Information Services, a team from…
Researchers may have found a solution to keep tsetse flies away – a perfume collar that deters the fly with the scent of the waterbuck. A team of researchers from the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), the Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources, the Centre for Development Research…
Question: What is the difference between live and inactivated vaccines? Vaccines are divided into 2 groups, live (attenuated) and inactivated vaccines. Vaccines consist of antigens. Antigens are viruses, bacteria, protozoans, fungi or toxins and can be inactivated (dead) or live. More recent vaccines can even consist of small pieces of antigen…
Ovine Johne’s disease, or OJD, is also called Paratuberculosis. As this last name indicates, it is related to tuberculosis and is a definite concern for all sheep farmers. It can get onto a farm mainly when a farmer buys sheep that are infected, but show no signs of ill health.…
The success of a broiler production business depends on a reliable supply of day-old chicks. Some farmers might struggle to find hatcheries willing to supply them, while others believe the chicks they receive are of inferior-quality. Sometimes farmers are also advised to consider using smaller hatcheries in order to obtain…
Need some advice and information on small stock farming? Look no further, we compiled all of the sheep and goat articles produced on Africanfarming.com so far in this one post, so you as a farmer can have all the information in one place. GENERAL Putting goat farming on the map…
The fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) must be a global effort that includes larger investments and improved surveillance measures, the FAO Deputy Director General told delegates at the General Assembly of the United Nations(UNGA) in New York. Maria Helena Semedo, DDG of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO),…
Dr. Pierre Jansen van Vuuren, of MSD Animal Health, presents a useful video on good practices for medicating small stock. He discusses animal handling facilities and demonstrates the subcutaneous and the intramuscular injection. He also shows how to apply pour-on dips, how to do spot treatment and a method for…
Zambia’s Copperbelt has been hit by East Coast fever. It has so far killed 100 cattle, Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) and local authorities have confirmed. According to local media, the disease is concentrated in Lufwanyama, about 100 kilometres from the provincial capital Ndola. “The outbreak is due to a…
Outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD), threatening meat supply and the meat export status of affected countries, have recently been reported in Namibia, Malawi and South Africa. The first recent incidence was recorded in cattle in the Zambezi region of Namibia, where 9 cases were observed in July. Until…
Animal admin is part of farm management and keeping flock records up to date helps the stockfarmer with forward planning. Draw up a month by month table that you break down into weekly segments. Animals don’t always fit neatly into rigid parameters so there should be some flexibility allowed. Once…
Vaccine programmes differ from area to area and even from farm to farm, depending on temperature, rainfall, season, local disease outbreaks, farm specific resistance and resilience and of course - management. There is no one-size-fits-all schedule. It’s up to you to make sure that your particular programme caters for your…
A strict and well thought out exit strategy based on scientific findings seems to be the only option to protect the South African poultry industry against the highly pathogenic H5N8 virus. This comes after the industry, which has already lost more than 600 000 chickens and thousands of eggs, asked…
Producers often ask why some flocks perform exceptionally well, while others do not, under the same conditions. A well-known quotation goes: “You are the master of your own destiny”. If applied to broiler farmers, this implies that, with correct management and a suitable vaccination programme, broiler performance will be as…
Veterinary experts from several international research institutions are driving an initiative worth US$7.12 million to provide appropriate technology to improve animal health and productivity in sub-Saharan Africa. The Supporting Evidence Based Interventions Initiative (SEBI) is a global scheme combining the expertise from several research institutions and partners to provide practical…
An estimated 28 000 heads of cattle in North Western Province are infected with foot and mouth disease. The disease is said to mostly affect Zambezi District, where local authorities are working frantically to contain it. “This is a serious concern for us and we want the veterinary department to…
The highly pathogenic avian flu outbreak in South Africa is reaching over a greater distance than previously thought, says Dr Mike Modisane, Chief Director of animal production and health at the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Modisane told the Parliamentary portfolio committee for agriculture forestry and fisheries that even…
South Africa will have to change its approach to animal health to control animal disease more effectively. In order to improve the control of animal diseases, the country will have to abandon its provincial approach, said Dr. John Adam from the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC). The council recently announced…
We discussed the essential crush pen as an absolute requirement for a stock owner with fewer than 10 animals, in a previous article. Now we look at expanded handling facilities for bigger groups. Dr. Danie Odendaal of Afrivet designed this system as a basic handling facility that can handle from…
There has been an outbreak of Newcastle disease (ND) in South Africa’s Limpopo Province and a consequent scare in the poultry industry. Up to date vaccination is always important and now is a good time for poultry farmers to review their vaccination programmes and check on the right way to handle…
