The 52^nd Annual PARSA Conference

by Nicola Collins

The 52^nd Annual Conference of the Parasitological Society of Southern Africa (PARSA) was held from the 6^th to the 8^th of October 2024, at the Villa Paradiso Country Manor, located at the foot of the Magaliesberg Mountains in picturesque Hartebeespoort. There were 67 registered delegates from seven countries. Sixty-two presentations, including 38 orals and 24 posters, were delivered. The session themes covered parasites in freshwater and marine aquatic systems, ectoparasites and endoparasites of mammals, and parasite detection and control methods.

The keynote speaker was Prof Nico Smit, Professor in Ecology and cofounder of the Water Research Group at the North-West University in Potchesfstroom. Prof Smith detailed his research journey from PhD student to postdoctoral fellow to leading international scholar in the field of fish parasitology. In line with the theme of the conference, he especially emphasized the capacity building through collaborations that resulted in many successful research projects with both local collaborators and parasitologists from all over the world.

The Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases (DVTD) was represented by a strong contingent of students and postdoctoral fellows, as well as several staff members. Members of the DVTD delivered 10 oral presentations and 3 posters. Dr Dina Fagir assisted with the adjudication of the Veteran Oral Presentations for the PARSA Conference Presentation awards. The presentation awards for the best oral and poster presentations in ‘First-time’, ‘Senior’ and ‘Veteran’ categories, were announced at the Gala Dinner on the last evening of the conference. We congratulate members of the DVTD who received the following well-deserved awards:

• Andeliza Smit – 1^st place, Best Veteran Presenter

“Intra- and interspecific variation of Amblyomma ticks from southern Africa”

• Raksha Bhoora – 3^rd place, Best Veteran Presenter

“Advancements in Equine Piroplasmosis diagnostics: From traditional methods to molecular innovations”

• Madeli de Bruin – 1^st place, Best Senior Presenter

“Eco-epidemiology of the zoonotic parasite Toxoplasma gondii among wildlife in Kruger National Park, South Africa”

• Rebecca Ackermann – 3^rd place, Best Senior Presenter

“Eukaryotic microbiome of ticks and humans in the rural Mnisi community situated in Mpumalanga, South Africa”

• Dina Fagir – 3^rd place, Best Veteran Poster

“Diversity and distribution ofectoparasite species associated with rats (Rattus rattus and Rattus tanezumi) in rural communities in the Savanna biome, South Africa”

We look forward to the next PARSA conference, which will be held together with the 5^th International Congress on Parasites of Wildlife in the Kruger National Park from 14-18 September 2025.