DRDAR LEVELS UP FIGHT AGAINST ANIMAL DISEASES WITH REINFORCEMENTS
The Eastern Cape government through its department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform has always waged a strong war against animal diseases of which some are deadly to both animals and humans. The diseases are either caused by bacterial or viral infection, but they pose a major threat to animal population and effectively impact negatively on the province’s agriculture sector and the economy at large.
This has been evident with farmers losing drifts of pigs following the outbreak of the African Swine Fever in the first semester of the year. Annual vaccination programmes have been put in place as a mitigation measure but the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) has gone greater lengths to reinforce its team at the forefront against the animal diseases in the province. To this effect, Dr Kim Rosslee is among the reinforcements to join the department. Dr Rosslee is a State Veterinarian designated at the Mnquma Local Municipality area which includes the vast areas of Butterworth, Nqamakwe and Centane.
She completed her studies in 2018 at the University of Pretoria Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute in Pretoria with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science Following this, she was placed in Butterworth, Eastern Cape for her compulsory community service year for 2019 and joined the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform as a full time employee this year.
“This beautiful area in which I work provides me with a variety of challenges and cases involving many different species, namely: cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, dogs, cats and chickens,” she said.
Apart from treating sick or injured animals, veterinarians are also involved in disease preventions through vaccination and dipping programs. The Annual Vaccination Program is divided into quarters, each dedicated to certain devastating diseases that are harmful to human and animal health.
According to Dr Rosslee, diseases such as Anthrax and Rabies are preventable through vaccination, both of these diseases are fatal to humans. Viral diseases such as African Horse Sickness and African Swine Fever have been major problems in Mnquma this year. And just on her first year with the department she was welcomed by the latter diseases that broke out in some parts of the province but she has put on a great fight against the diseases –something which she attributes to the support she receives from both the DRDAR Mnquma-based and provincial office.
While our focus was on the viral diseases an outbreak of African Armyworm occurred during the early stages of the National Lockdown. “This is a migratory pest of pastures causing it to become toxic to the livestock who ingest it. I work together with a great team in Animal Health, the workload was easy to carry,” said Dr Rosslee.