Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) has invested in an interactive tool to improve disease management in South Africa’s livestock industry. This decision comes in response to one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: biosecurity. The tool, part of a disease reporting system developed by Dr Danie Odendaal in 2011 following a Rift Valley Fever outbreak, has already proved instrumental in tracking and managing disease trends through collaboration with the Ruminant Livestock Association of South Africa (RuVASA).

Using this tool, livestock farmers can access real-time disease data, allowing them to react quickly to outbreaks. It also helps veterinarians develop health plans tailored to specific areas. The tool is free and available on the RMIS website, where users can also find their nearestparticipating veterinarian for further support.

Streamlining Disease Reporting and Data Collection

The tool collects data from participating veterinary practices across the country, and RMIS encourages more vets to join and report their findings. It’s designed to simplify the reporting process, saving veterinarians time while still collecting valuable information. Vets can rate each disease based on their observations, considering both the species affected and the severity of the situation. For instance, one case of rabies might be seen as a crisis, while multiple blue tick cases may not raise concern.

All data comes from registered veterinary professionals, ensuring its accuracy. These reports give a clearer picture of disease trends across different regions and help veterinarians offer better advice to farmers.

Biosecurity Benefits

With biosecurity becoming a growing issue, private vets are playing a bigger role in managing livestock diseases. The tool helps track diseases at farm, practice, and national levels. By identifying disease patterns and risks, veterinarians can develop more effective prevention strategies. 

The system also helps vets understand how factors like weather, farm management, and specific pathogens affect disease outbreaks. By consistently tracking diseases over time, vets can spot trends and make informed decisions about control measures.

Monthly Data for Quick Action

Each month, vets update the system with new disease data. RMIS compiles this information and displays it on a national map, available to farmers and industry stakeholders. This helps everyone stay informed about the spread of diseases and take action when necessary.

The monthly reports cover several key areas:

1. Diseases Not Present – Highlighting diseases that haven’t appeared, so any new case can be flagged early.

2. Preventable Diseases – Focusing on diseases that can be avoided through measures like vaccination.

3. High-Incidence Diseases – Identifying diseases that are widespread and need immediate attention.

4. Disease Awareness – Covering ongoing diseases that can be controlled with existing methods.

5. Complex Control Diseases – Diseases requiring detailed strategies, including testing and quarantine.

6. Emerging Disease Trends – New diseases or those spreading to new areas.

7. Priority Diseases – High-impact diseases needing further research for effective control.

This tool is set to change how veterinarians manage herd health by using the latest data to address key diseases. It also highlights emerging threats, like Asiatic redwater, a disease spreading beyond its normal range due to livestock movement. 

In future, RMIS plans to expand the tool to cover data from auctions and abattoirs, giving a broader view of disease spread. Plans also include encouraging more veterinarians to report diseases more frequently through a mobile application designed for ease of use. Increasing reporting frequency will improve data quality, bringing the tool closer to real-time disease surveillance.

As the tool evolves, RMIS aims to introduce real-time reporting, where new disease reports are immediately visible on the platform. Future enhancements may also include deeper surveillance of priority diseases through laboratory testing, improving understanding of disease trends on a local and national level.