Vetnews | Mei 2026 4 « BACK TO CONTENTS International collegial interaction is something that can put a lot of domestic issues into perspective. After just returning from the World Veterinary Association’s World Congress in Janan (the one we presented two years ago), can it be that long?) It has shown again that international congresses are very good for gaining knowledge (and those pesky CPD points), but even more importantly, to talk to colleagues from different countries (if you share a common language) for perspective and understanding of one’s own issues. Issues like funding, leadership, willing to make a change seem to be universal topics, and without becoming a pity party, ideas and workarounds can be enlightening to both parties. But, being in a completely unfamiliar culture and a very uncomfortable time zone, adding to the long flight, it surely takes you away from home and helps you enjoy what the country has to offer. A very enlightening experience indeed. The day we booked into the hotel, there was a 7.5 magnitude earthquake off the shore of Japan, but much higher to the south. Except for some light squeaking in the room, it was unnoticeable, but looking out the window, the swaying of buildings was remarkable. Japan is so used to earthquakes and prepared that there was no hoo-ha about it. A message from somebody in South Africa made us attend. It was quite the talking point for the foreigners like us. The International Animal Disaster Preparedness Day is commemorated on the 8th of May. I asked my beloved husband (who is a bit of a buff on disaster management) to compile an article on the topic. The first concept to understand is the definition of a disaster. In that light, the current Foot-and-mouth outbreak fits snugly into that definition. A couple of mitigating steps are given and can be implemented throughout the sphere of veterinary application in South Africa (and the world). It not only applies to pets, but also to all animals that can suffer under disasters. Natural disasters in South Africa are usually isolated to smaller areas and handled as such, but with climate change and more erratic weather behaviour, it may change, even though we hope it does not. Read the article and discover some gems to apply at work and at home. Disasters (and disease outbreaks like foot-and-mouth, avian influenza, African swine fever and the rest) may lead to mass euthanasia, or depopulation, as the articles have shown by Veterinarians and veterinary-related professions. I picked a couple of articles related to the topic. It may put some emotions and feelings into perspective. A very interesting article I picked up reports on a research study on the veterinarians’ thoughts and attitudes towards assisted dying in humans. A very interesting parallel indeed. The other date in May that is always of significance to me is International Bee Day. It coincides with my birthday, and I have adopted the bee as a super special animal. A year or so ago, I wrote on the correlation of a bee and the 10c coin. I still collect and treasure them. May they both be of significance to you. If you think that is an insignificant principle, spend a night in a warm room with a mosquito. I hope that you have a good May and enjoy the cooler weather, although it looks like the weather is a little disturbed in some areas. Andriette v Editor’s notes / Redakteurs notas From the Editor
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