The Southern African Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine (SASVEPM) is pleased to announce its 21st Annual Congress, which will take place from 21 to 23 August 2024 at the Lagoon Beach Hotel, Cape Town.

Epi for Africa: Global Problems | Local Solutions

Africa is arguably the continent at highest risk from infectious diseases, but often struggles to implement internationally recommended veterinary surveillance and control measures successfully. This is not only due to severe resource limitations and lack of capacity, but also inexorably linked to the highly heterogeneous nature of our terrain, peoples, animals, and climate. To truly understand the complex eco-epidemiological landscapes of Africa requires creative approaches to data collection and disease surveillance, holistic control measures, participatory approaches, interdisciplinary efforts, and community involvement.

This year’s SASVEPM congress features the unique problems and circumstances faced in animal health and welfare on the African continent and explores practical and sustainable local and regional solutions. We believe that only by developing Afro-centric approaches to address global problems will we have a chance at finding the sustainable solutions we need to flourish as a continent.

The 21st SASVEPM congress serves as a strong multinational networking platform to build and foster collaborative research and enhance communication across disciplines, professions, and sectors. Join us for this exciting event which brings together veterinarians, para-veterinarians, and researchers from the southern African region and beyond. Participants interested in presenting oral or poster presentations are invited to submit abstracts under the theme “Epi for Africa: Global Problems | Local Solutions”.

The congress app can be viewed on your computer browser here https://eventee.co/event/84179. If you attended the congress in person, you need to go to settings (on the app) and change it to virtual mode to see the videos. The app is now locked with a pin code, use the pin code that was send by email

  • Download the Abstract book on the congress app

  • Congress Photos are available on congress app  

  • Powerpoints & replays is available on the congress app where you can view them for the next 6 months

Dr. Nenene Qekwana

Dr. Daniel Nenene Qekwana (BSc, BVSc, MMedVet, PhD) is a recognized specialist in veterinary public health and an associated professor in the Department of Paraclinical Sciences at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria where he is involved in teaching and training of undergraduate and postgraduate students in epidemiology, food safety, zoonotic diseases, and public health. After completing his PhD in epidemiology, he has conducted research on various topics including spatio-temporal changes in disease outbreaks, drivers of antimicrobial resistance in humans and animals, and the impact of policy decision/formulation from a justice perspective.


Dr. Qekwana is currently the Head of the Department of Paraclinical Sciences and a member of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences research ethics committee. He has served as part of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance (MAC-AMR) until the end of 2023 and continues to serve as a member of the Gauteng Provincial Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee.

Dr. Anne Conan

Dr. Anne Conan is a researcher in epidemiology at the French Agricultural Research and International Cooperation Organization (CIRAD, France) and is attached to the Research Platform - Production and Conservation in Partnership (RP-PCP) based at the University of Zimbabwe. She specializes in infectious diseases and zoonoses in low-income areas.

Her main research topics include the surveillance of infectious diseases at the wildlife interface, the consequences of intensification of chicken farming in Asia (One Health Poultry Hub), the epidemiology of African swine fever in pigs, the epidemiology of Coxiella burnetii in humans and livestock, and the control of rabies in humans and dogs. She is a research fellow at the One Health Research Foundation.

Dr. Conan completed her DVM and MSc in epidemiological surveillance in 2008. She worked at the Public Health and Epidemiology Department in Pasteur Institute in Cambodia for five years. After completing her PhD in Epidemiology in 2013, Dr Conan started a post-doctorate fellowship at the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases at the University of Pretoria (South Africa). She then joined Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (St. Kitts and Nevi, West Indies) in 2015 as a post-doctorate fellow before becoming an Assistant Professor in Epidemiology. After spending three years at City University of Hong Kong as research assistant professor and then research associate professor, she joined CIRAD in November 2022.

Dr. Locksley Messam

Dr. Locksley Messam (BSc., Dr. Med. Vet., PhD ) is a tenured lecturer at University College Dublin’s School of Veterinary Medicine. He is a veterinary epidemiologist with both methods-related and applied research interests, including epidemiologic study design, the validation and application of diagnostic tests and the effects of human-animal interactions on human health and wellbeing. A staunch advocate of the application of epidemiologic approaches to study design, data analysis and inferences, he maintains that studies claiming to be epidemiologic in nature, should be designed, conducted, and make inferences in ways that are recognisably consistent with the central concepts and methods of the discipline.

Having conducted research in Europe, North America and the Caribbean, Dr. Messam has substantial experience in the efficient conduct of epidemiologic studies requiring empirical data collection in a variety of cultural contexts. A native Jamaican, he is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, University of Veterinary Sciences, Hungary, and the University of California Davis, USA, where he did his undergraduate, veterinary and doctoral studies, respectively. A firm believer that formal training in epidemiology is invaluable to grasping the discipline’s approach to inference, he has taught epidemiology to veterinary and graduate students in the Caribbean, North America and Europe and has conducted a number of workshops on epidemiologic methods at the Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine’s (SVEPM) conferences. Since 2022, Dr. Messam has also been a member of SVEPM’s executive committee.

You can find out more about Dr. Messam on his webpage: https://people.ucd.ie/locksley.messam

 

17:00Registration opens
18:00-19:30Welcome Reception – Lagoon Beach Hotel
    
Wednesday, 21 August 2024
TimeThemeTitleSpeaker
7:00Registration – Arrival Coffee & Tea in Exhibition Area
 SESSION CHAIR: Dr. Mohamed Sirdar
8:00Opening SessionWelcome & Opening RemarksMohamed Sirdar (SASVEPM President)
8:30
Epidemiological Methods
Keynote 1: The (un)Common Sense of Epidemiologic Inference: Why Training is A MustLocksley Messam
9:30Descriptive epidemiology and spatio-temporal analysis of African swine fever outbreaks in South Africa: 2012-2023Oonagh Pretorius
9:50Veterinarians’ perceptions of beef cattle farmer’s knowledge and practices of biosecurity in Western AustraliaLebogang Mnisi
10:10 Introduction of SponsorsChris Marufu (SASVEPM VP)
10:20Mid-morning refreshments
 SESSION CHAIR: Dr. Tandile Ndobeni
10:50
Epidemiological Methods
Evaluation of expert opinion elicitation in the context of foot-and-mouth disease controlMohamed Sirdar
11:10Gut microbiome of wildtype Tabanus par (Walker, 1854) using metagenomics approach.Emily Emsley
11:30
Animal Welfare
Welfare status of dairy cows reared from large scale dairy farms in Midlands Province –ZimbabweZivanayi Matore
11:50Are you an ethical professional? The updated South African National Standard for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (SANS 10386:2021)Bert Mohr
12:10Special ThemeIncome generation and curbing fuel costs by use of Donkeys, Mules and HorsesBenedict Mhletywa
12:30Poster Session 1
13:00Lunch
 SESSION CHAIR: Prof. Nkululeko Nyangiwe
14:00
Unique African Epidemiological Challenges & Solutions
Context-specific solutions for African Horse Sickness in South Africa: enhancing ASD through integrated reportingCamilla Weyer
14:20State veterinary laboratory’s role in the control of diseases: challenges and perspectives.Mulunda Mwanza
14:40Molecular and serological prevalence of corridor disease (buffalo associated Theileria parva infection) in cattle populations at the livestock/game interface of Kwazulu-Natal Province, South AfricaSikhumbuzo Mbizeni
15:00Dog-mediated human rabies elimination in Nigeria by 2030 – will dog markets stifle progress towards elimination?Ukamaka Eze
15:20Special ThemeSharing elephant dung with traditional healers: from dung heap to beacon of hopeLin-Mari de Klerk-Lorist
15:40Wellness Tea
15:50Wellness sessionHow to cultivate mental-emotional wellbeing, reduce stress and anxiety, and be well from the inside out – practical tips and exercises to change your life foreverBert Mohr
16:30End of Day One
    
    
Thursday, 22 August 2024
TimeThemeTitleSpeaker
7:00Registration – Arrival Coffee & Tea in Exhibition Area
 SESSION CHAIR: Dr. Oonagh Pretorius
8:00
One Health Approaches: Integrating Human, Animal, and Environmental Health
Keynote 2: One Health: Is Conceptualisation a Barrier to its Operationalisation?Anne Conan
9:00A “One Health” perspective of Africa-wide distribution and prevalence of Giardia species in humans, animals and environment: A systematic review and meta-analysisMpho Tawana
9:20Exploring the Impact of Temperature Variation on Bacterial Growth Dynamics in Coastal Marine Ecosystems amidst Climate ChangeEkemini Okon
9:40In-vitro antimicrobial activity of crude extracts of Combretum molle leaf- A One Health ApproachJoshua Ngwisha
10:00Occurrence and characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates from cattle and calves on communal rangeland in Gauteng, South Africa.Mogaugedi Malahlela
10:20Mid-morning refreshments
 SESSION CHAIR: Dr. Wonderful Shumba
10:45
One Health Approaches: Integrating Human, Animal, and Environmental Health
Unravelling bacterial communities in Diptera flies from livestock kraals and residential dumping sites using metataxonomic approachLara de Wet
11:05Growth, Health and Environmental Impacts of Feed additive Use and Regulatory Frameworks in AquacultureEkemini Okon
11:25Gold sponsor presentation – OBP
11:40
Disease Prevention & Control in Low Resource Settings
Knowledge of ticks and tick-borne diseases and tick control strategies among communal farmers in Mafikeng Local MunicipalityPfano Theweli
12:00“Guilty until proven innocent”, the only way to optimize control of transboundary animal disease in South Africa, an African swine fever case report.Agatha Raseasala
12:20Bridging policy and science: Public-Private Partnerships revitalizing South Africa’s equine trade prospectsJohn Grewar
12:40Poster Session 2
13:10Lunch
 SESSION CHAIR: Mrs. Thembakazi Xoxo
14:00
Disease Prevention & Control in Low Resource Settings
Enhancing Veterinary Service Provision for Smallholder Farmers in Zimbabwe: An Integrated ApproachLeonard Maposa
14:20Evaluation of the proper use of medication available over the counter by subsistence in Mpumalanga Province.Japhta Mokoele
14:40FAO Expert Consultation on acaricide resistance of cattle ticks: A case study of the Eastern Cape Province in South AfricaNkululeko Nyangiwe
15:00Special ThemeMeat safety risk of unapproved stamped carcasses sold at butcheries of MpumalangaMpendulo Xashimba
15:15Mid-afternoon refreshments
15:30SASVEPM AGM
17:00End of Day Two
    
    
 SASVEPM 21st ANNUAL CONGRESS CELEBRATION & AWARDS
 Moyo – Kirstenbosch
 Dress code: Unique African Dress
18:00Shuttles depart Lagoon Beach Hotel
19:00Congress Dinner & Awards
21:30First shuttle leaves back to LBH
23:00Last shuttle leaves back to LBH
    
    
Friday, 23 August 2024
TimeThemeTitleSpeaker
7:00Registration – Arrival Coffee & Tea in Exhibition Area
 SESSION CHAIR: Prof. Chris Marufu
8:00
Antimicrobial Resistance
Keynote 3: AMR Surveillance & Control in an African SettingNenene Qekwana
9:00Antibiotic quality and use practices amongst dairy farmers and drug retailers in central Kenyan highlandsDishon Muloi
9:20Molecular comparative study of antibiotic resistance of Salmonella enterica from animals, food and environment isolated over 62 years.Nozipho Maphori
9:40Genomic characterization of generic Escherichia coli from food-producing animals and products of animal origin, in South AfricaRefiloe Malesa
10:00Antimicrobial patterns of ESKAPE pathogens isolated from the hands of students in a Veterinary Academic Hospital, South Africa.Dikeledi Sebola
10:20Veterinary antibiotic traces in formal and informal red meat slaughtered food animals in the West Coast District of the Western CapeVictor Twala
10:40Mid-morning refreshments
 SESSION CHAIR: Dr. Itumeleng Matle
11:10
State of the Continent: Disease rich, data poor
Analysis of mannose-binding lectin protein and mRNA levels on selected chicken breeds in South AfricaPeter Ayodeji Idowu
11:30The bacterial community harboured by Amblyomma hebraeum ticks from livestock in North West Province, South AfricaKealeboga Mileng
11:50Bacillus anthracis in South Africa, 1975-2013: are some lineages vanishing?Kgaugelo Lekota
12:10Temporal and Serotypic Dynamics of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae in South African Porcine Populations: A Retrospective Study from 1985 to 2023Emmanuel Seakamela
12:30Poster Session 3
13:00Lunch
 SESSION CHAIR: Dr. Nyeleti Manganyi
14:00
State of the Continent: Disease rich, data poor
Rift Valley fever: questioning dogma and debunking mythsPeter Thompson
14:20Retrospective Analysis of Serotype Distribution in Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Bibersteinia trehalosi Isolates: Insights from 50 Years of Specimen Data at Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Laboratory.Itumeleng Matle
14:40
Wildlife Epidemiology
Tuberculosis in a Skukuza vervet monkey troop – a monkey on the back of the One Health concept?Lin-Mari de Klerk-Lorist
15:00Species composition of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting selected wild ungulates from two protected wildlife management areas in Northern BotswanaObuile Owen Raboloko
15:20Black-backed jackal-associated rabies case in white rhino from North-West Province, South AfricaChuene Ernest Ngoepe
15:40Translocation risk assessment model for white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) from wildlife populations infected with tuberculosis, South AfricaOonagh Pretorius
16:00Closing CeremonyClosing, vote of thanks, awardsMohamed Sirdar & Oonagh Pretorius
16:30End of Congress

 

 

Day 1 – 19 August 2024Workshop Title: Veterinary Laboratories Biosafety and Biosecurity Fundamentals
Workshop Objectives
• Enhance participants’ understanding of biosafety and biosecurity principles in veterinary laboratories.
• Develop practical skills in PPE donning and doffing.
• Foster knowledge of international biosafety frameworks and their application.
• Improve risk assessment and management capabilities.
Facilitator: Dr Paidamwoyo Berry Mutowembwa
 Workshop Programme
7:30Arrival Tea & Registration
8:00
Introductions and Pre-Workshop Assessment
• Welcome and Opening Remarks by Workshop Convener
• Opening of the workshop by the SASVEPM President
• Self-introductions by all delegates
• Pre-evaluation test on Laboratory biosafety/biosecurity principles.
8:30
Introduction to Biosafety/ biosecurity Concepts
• Definition of biosafety and biosecurity.
• Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity Fundamentals-Definitions, concepts and importance
• Identification of potential hazards in veterinary laboratories.
9:30
BSLs and Matching Practices to Specific Veterinary Pathogens
• Explanation of Biosafety Levels (BSL-1 to BSL-4).
• Correlation of pathogens to appropriate BSLs.
• Standard microbiological practices for different BSLs.
• Case studies of pathogen handling and containment.
10:30Morning Tea/Coffee Break
11:00Practical Demonstration: PPE Donning and Doffing
12:00
International Biosafety/Biosecurity Frameworks
• Overview of global standards and guidelines and their relevance to animal health
13:00Lunch Break
14:00
Case Studies: Analyzing Biosafety Practices in Real-world Scenarios
• Group work on real-world biosafety scenarios.
• Identification of potential risks and corrective actions.
• Discussion and sharing of findings.
15:00Overview of Bio risk Management.
15:30
Principles of Risk assessment, evaluation and mitigation
• Discussion of the pre-evaluation test after the course.
 Adjournment
  
Day 2 – 20 August 2024Veterinary Method Validation
 Facilitator: Dr Alison Baratang Lubisi
7:00Arrival Tea
7:30
Why must diagnostic tests be validated
• Importance of accurate and reliable test results
• Regulatory requirements
• Impact of inaccurate results on animal health and welfare
• Case studies
8:45Questions and comments
9:00
Assay development pathway
• Essential pre-requisites:
o Target analyte, matrix, and interference identification
o Regulatory considerations
o Resource allocation and personnel
• Study design and protocol:
o Defining study objectives and endpoints
o Sample collection and handling
o Data management
• Reagents and controls:
o Sourcing and quality assessment
o Preparation and stability
• Calibration to standards:
o Standard selection and preparation
o Calibration curve generation and validation
10:3010:30 – 11:00 Tea Break
11:00
Stage 1: Analytical characteristics
• Analytical sensitivity and specificity:
o Limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ)
o Cross-reactivity and specificity evaluation
• Repeatability:
o Intra-assay variation assessment
• Preliminary reproducibility:
o Inter-assay variation assessment
12:00
Stage 2: Diagnostic Characteristics
• Diagnostic sensitivity:
o True positive rate determination
• Diagnostic specificity:
o True negative rate determination
• Cut-off point adjustment:
o Optimization for desired sensitivity and specificity
13:00Lunch
13:45
Stage 3: Reproducibility
• Full reproducibility:
o Inter-laboratory and long-term stability assessment
Stage 4: Implementation
• Validation report generation
• Quality control procedures
• Ongoing monitoring and reassessment
Validation status retention
• Requirements for maintaining validation
• Revalidation timelines
End of workshop
Closing Remarks: Deputy President : SASVEPM

Conference Organiser

conferences@vetlink.co.za

012 346 1590