Page 21 - VHSA - Onderstepoort 100 Years - Part 2

population control in elephants, the production of the first group of calves by in vitro fertilization and the first successful insemination of dogs with frozen-thawed semen.
Veterinary Tropical Diseases
The Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases (DVTD) was established in 1993 with the amalgamation of the Departments of Infectious Diseases and Parasitology. The Department of Infectious Diseases was formed in 1958 when the Faculty reorganized, and included the disciplines of virology, bacteriology and protozoology. At that stage R.A. Alexander was head of the department and professor in virology with B.C. Jansen responsible for bacteriology. Jansen succeeded Alexander as head of the
ONDERSTEPOORT 100
in 1999. Since 2002 it is one of five departments in the new Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria and operates mainly in three areas: teaching and training, research, and community service, which includes diagnostic services. For strategic reasons the department is at present (2008) composed of six sections each driven by a section head:
In order to raise the standard of its teaching and research the department has appointed a number of extraordinary professors and lecturers, including staff members of the OVI. Staff members pre- sent courses in the various disciplines for both undergraduate veterinary students and veterinary nursing students. The DVTD also offers a research-based MSc (Veterinary Science) as well as a primarily web-based MSc (Veterinary Tropical Diseases). Candidates can enroll for a PhD degree in all disciplines. Courses are also presented that can be taken as ancillary subjects for students that are registered for the BVSc(hons) and MMedVet program- mes in other departments of the Faculty.
The web-based modular MSc (Veteri- 81 nary Tropical Diseases) programme is a
unique product developed in collaboration
with the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, and Utrecht University
in the Netherlands. It is of great value for candidates from developing countries where particularly transboundary diseases are often the biggest constraint to socio- economic development. The degree pro- gramme and individual modules are also very useful to candidates from the deve- loped world from which many of these diseases have been eradicated, often at great cost, but that nevertheless still pose
Bacteriology: Ectoparasitology and Protozoology: Helminthology: Immunology: Virology:
Molecular Biology:
J. Godfroid
B.J. Penzhorn
J. Boomker
J.E. Crafford
M. van Vuuren
E.H. Venter and N.E. Collins
department when the latter retired in 1963. When the Faculty became independent from the Institute in 1973, P.G. Howell was appointed to the chair in infectious diseases and as head of the department. The development of these disciplines prior to 1973 is discussed in Part 3.
R.M. du Toit was professor and head of the Department of Parasitology from 1958 to 1973. He was succeeded by R.K. Reinecke, who retired in 1986. I.G. Horak was associate professor in entomology and after a short spell as Director of the Tick Research Unit of the Rhodes University was promoted to full professor in 1987. In 1982 C.G. Stewart was appointed as associate professor. In 1987 B.L. Penzhorn succeeded Reinecke as professor and head of the department.
“The decision to merge the departments of Infectious Diseases and Parasitology as the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases was taken to promote a multidisciplinary and integrated, problem- solving approach, particularly pertaining to teaching and research.”
The decision in 1992 to merge the de-
partments of Infectious Diseases and Para-
sitology as the Department of Veterinary
Tropical Diseases (DVTD) was taken to pro-
mote a multidisciplinary and integrated,
problem-solving approach, particularly per-
taining to teaching and research. The
first head of the department was R. (Bob)
Connor who was succeeded by J.A.W.
(Koos) Coetzer in 1993. Under the dynamic
leadership of the latter the department has
grown significantly since its inception and
has established itself as a leader in many
areas, particularly those related to teaching and research in tropical animal health. It has been strategically successful in establishing alliances and collaboration with national and international institutions, which have resulted in substantial outside funding.
a distinct threat because of increased international trade in animals and their products. Research projects in the department are grouped in programmes under four main themes:
The DVTD has also experienced significant growth in the number of staff members, postgraduate students and research outputs by the amalgamation of the two veterinary faculties
1. Vector-borne Protozoal and Rickettsial Diseases 2. Viral Diseases
3. Bacterial Diseases
4. Helminth Infections
Faculty-specific Departments
1908-2008
Years