Vetnews | Augustus 2025 32 « BACK TO CONTENTS Gold Medal - 2024 Awarded to any person, in recognition of outstanding and sustained scientific achievement, with a major impact in the field of veterinary science in South Africa. The medal will only be awarded once to a particular person, and there will be one award per year. The award requires a very comprehensive curriculum vitae and motivation. PROF FRED REYERS 2023/24 SAVA AWARDS Following graduating BVSc in 1971, Fred Reyers worked at the Veterinary Research Laboratory in Harare from 1973 to 1978, where he started a long and distinguished career in veterinary research. From 1979 to 2003 he was appointed to increasingly senior posts in the Department of Medicine at the Pretoria Faculty of Veterinary Science and obtained BVSc Honours, a Tertiary Education Diploma, and an MMedVet (Clinical Diagnostics) – all cum laude. On retirement as Head of the Department, he was accorded Professor Emeritus status. His international standing is evident by his being a Visiting Professor at Cornell University and Principal Lecturer at the University of Lincoln, and he is a highly valued consultant for laboratories and private practices, both local and foreign. His publications include 101 articles in Journals and Proceedings, covering a very wide range of subjects on diseases and conditions of a great variety of wild and domestic animals. As a member of the research teams involved, Fred has enriched his knowledge of important subjects. Prof Fred Reyers receiving his SAVA Gold Medal from Dr Ziyanda Majokweni with Dr Ginelle Viviers from Virbac and Prof Gareth Bath Of particular note is a series of 12 articles on key aspects of canine babesiosis. Understanding the pathobiology and clinical pathology of this important, complex disease has played a major role in elevating South Africa to a leading position in understanding its many aspects and enabling clinicians to monitor cases correctly, including the best treatment decisions to be made. In another seminal series of 6 articles on the pathobiology, clinical pathology and treatment of heartwater, the teams laid a solid foundation for understanding several aspects of this major ruminant disease. Appreciation of Prof Reyers’ expertise and knowledge is evident from the very extensive list of 177 Congress and CPD presentations he has made. In addition, he has published many less formal but science-based articles in the veterinary media. He was part of the worldwide WHO / FAO team that exposed the dangers of adding melamine to animal feeds and the international scandal that ensued. In a career that spans half a century, Fred Reyers has made outstanding contributions to veterinary science with a major impact in South Africa. The SAVA Gold Medal 2024 is a fitting tribute. v Trophy sponsored by
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