Dr. Francis Kolo and Dr. Charles Byaruhanga, under the respective mentorships of Prof. Henriette van Heerden and Dr. Chris Marufu, visited abattoirs in the Eastern Cape Province to sample livestock and transfer knowledge to workers in the abattoirs about protecting themselves and animals from pathogens. This is part of the UNICEF funded project titled “Detection of infectious diseases in livestock at abattoirs and knowledge transfer to stakeholders in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa” und. The research is undertaken at the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria in collaboration with the University of Fort Hare’s Department of Livestock and Pasture Sciences. 

The group conducted questionnaire-based surveys to ascertain the knowledge attitudes and practices of abattoir workers on various zoonotic diseases and parasites of livestock at different abattoirs in four districts of the Eastern Cape Province. In addition, the group also disseminated information to abattoir workers on zoonotic diseases and parasites of significant public health importance. The researchers had various posters and pamphlets on zoonotic diseases which they left for the abattoir workers. The areas that were visited were Queenstown, Adelaide, East London and Port Elizabeth. During each visit, the group also took the opportunity to collect various samples from slaughter cattle, sheep and pigs which will be analysed at the DVTD research laboratories for zoonotic infectious diseases and parasites. The surveys will be important