Animal health

Objectives

• To control zoonotic diseases that are transmissible from animals to human beings e.g. tuberculosis, rabies, brucellosis, anthrax, internal- and external parasites.
• Controlling legally declared diseases that are strictly controlled by the state e.g. Foot and mouth disease, Sheep scab, Blue tongue, African Horse sickness, Newcastle disease, Buffalo sickness, BSE, etc.
• To detect and control all animals diseases.
• To monitor and survey all animal diseases in order to establish the status of diseases in the province.
• To promote livestock improvement by assisting farmers in identification and branding of animals; to advise farmers on different breeds and purpose of animals. To train farmers on artificial insemenation.
• To support export and export opportunities and to inspect farms and the facilities that are exporting and certify them for export.
• To ensure compliance with all Animal Health regulations and to investigate non-compliance thereof.

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Animal health laboratory services

Objectives

• To diagnose animal diseases and to give advice on the treatment and control of diseases.
• To support animal production by monitoring erosion conditions through schemes such as the Mastitis control scheme and Internal parasite detection.
• To improve food safety by hygiene- and residue monitoring.
• To conduct Veterinary research.
• To collect data and to do epidemiological evaluations.

State Veterinary Laboratories in the Free State are situated in Bloemfontein and in Kroonstad.

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Veterinary public health

Objectives

• To advice and assist new abbatoir owners to register their abbatoirs according to Meat Safety Act requirements.
• To ensure safe meat for human consumption by inspecting all the abbatoirs and the slaugther processes in the province.
• To inspect the hygiene conditions at dairy facilities, the effectiveness of cleaning systems and making recommendations.
• To inspect game carcasses to ensure that the met is fit for export and human consumption.
• To monitor and investigate illegal slaughtering.
• To constantly advice and train abbatoir workers, owners and dairy facilities in order to maintain food safety.

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