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In April 2022, it was announced that South Africa is currently battling 56 outbreaks cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Farms in the Free State, KwaZulu Natal, Limpopo, North West and Gauteng are effected.

The importance of biodiversity and its role in emerging infectious disease. Population, ecological, and behavioural changes that increase contact with wildlife exacerbate the emergence of these pathogens.

Recently alarm has been raised in the Cape Flats and Southern Suburbs due to an increase in laboratory-confirmed cases of feline panleukopenia. This viral and often fatal disease is extremely infectious.

It may come as no surprise that climate change plays an important role in the increasing number of new pathogens and disease outbreaks that have been wreaking havoc in both human and animal populations.

Antibiotic resistance and the increasing presence of pharmaceutical compounds in the surrounding environment is an important topic. Pharmaceutical drugs often play a key role in the management of infectious diseases around the world.

African Swine Fever (ASF) has been affecting multiple regions around the world. ASF is a contagious, viral disease that affects domestic pigs and wild boar, leading to high mortality. It does not affect people.

Avian Influenza (AI) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects bird species across the world. Two categories of AI viruses are commonly observed and referred to as low pathogenicity AI (LPAI) or high pathogenicity AI (HPAI).

Composting undergoes three phases: Mesophilic, Thermophilic and Cooling and Maturing/Curing Phase. These phases are classified by the micro-organisms which predominate that phase and the temperatures reached.

Landfills are the antithesis of sustainability. They are the earliest form of waste management, however in the past few years we have come to realize that these sites have an increasingly damaging impact on our planet.