OBP TIMES

Inside this issue

DALRRD Donation .......................2

Rift Valley Fever Advert ...............2

Sales Of AHS in Thailand ..............3

Career Spotlight ..........................4

Career Spotlight ..........................5

Lekgolo Village Outreach…….……..6

OBP During Lockdown .................6

Welcome Note …….…………..……….6

Special points of interest

• OBP taps into the Thailand market. Learn more on page 3.

• A welcome note from the editorial team. Catch it on page 6.

• OBP plays a part in the bid to combat the spread of COVID-19. Check out the cover page, as well as page 2.

• Let’s get to know our newest researcher at R&D Viral, as well as our technical manager at Sales and Marketing. Learn more on page 4.

10 000L OF SANITISER DONATED As the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in South Africa and the numbers began

to multiply at an alarming rate,

the President, Honourable Cyril

Ramaphosa announced a State

of disaster, which led to a 21

days’ lockdown for the country.

This meant that numerous

extraordinary measures to

attempt to combat this

pandemic were announced to

be put in place that would

hopefully assist in the flattening

of the infection curve.

Preventative basic hygiene

practices were also enforced.

With those important

precautions in mind, OBP’s

Chairperson of the Board,

Mr Tshililo Ramabulana,

alongside the CEO, Dr Baptiste

Dungu, realized the importance

of assisting as a company in

helping to save lives. They

heeded the call to come

together and contribute

towards the national solidarity

relief initiative, to help the fight

against COVID-19!

OBP has donated 10 000 litres

of 70% alcohol-based sanitiser

produced onsite, to the Department of Health, Gauteng Province, for distribution to

public hospitals in various provinces, to assist those on the frontline and others in

need.

The official handover took place on 22nd June 2020, where the MEC for Health,

Dr Bandile Masuku (pictured on the right), accepted the donation. Dr Jacob Modumo

(pictured on the left)), accompanied by Ms Zipho Linda and Ms Brenda Pelo, attended and

represented OBP.

As the COVID-19 level restrictions decrease, with more and more of the restrictions

lifted, it is vital for all to ensure the continuation of practicing preventative measures

June- July 2020 Volume 1, Issue 1

“I call on all of us, one and all, to play our part. To be courageous, to be patient,

and above all, to show compassion.” President Cyril Ramaphosa, 23 March 2020.

DALRRD DONATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

On the 11th June 2020, Mr Dingaan

Ngobeni from the Department of

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural

Development, made his way to OBP, as

an acknowledgement of receipt of the

10 000 litres of sanitiser OBP donated

to the department, on behalf of

Honourable Minister Ms Thoko Didiza.

The donation of sanitiser would form

part of the minister’s initiative to

provide farming communities with

masks, soaps, sanitisers and gloves, in a

bid to play a part in curbing the spread

of the virus.

OBP strives to assist in any way it can,

to help in the fight against COVID-19.

National Sales Team:

Kenneth@obpvaccines.co.za

Sello.Maboe@obpvaccines.co.za

Aubrey@obpvaccines.co.za

Export Sales:

Nolwazi@obpvaccine.co.za

SALES OF AHS VACCINE IN THAILAND continued… By June, the disease had spread to 12 of the 77 Thailand provinces, where it eventually killed over 500 horses. The origin of the outbreak is suspected to be from the import of infected zebras from

Africa, earlier in 2020.

The OIE and Thailand veterinary authorities invited an international team,

including South African experts from the University of Pretoria’s Equine Research Centre, South African Equine Health and Protocols (SAEHP) and Onderstepoort Biological Products, to put together a

plan based on movement controls, protection against midge contact and vaccination with the OBP AHS vaccine, to control and limit the spread the disease. Between May and July 2020, OBP has been

supplying AHS vaccine to Thailand: originally 4000 doses of bottle 1 of its AHS vaccine were shipped. This was initially enough vaccine to cover a third of the 12 000 equines and was

later followed by another two shipments of 9000 doses of polyvalent, bottle 1 AHS vaccine. The primary objective was to conduct ring vaccination to try and contain the disease with, and to

protect horses used for the production of snake bite antivenom. Reports indicate that the OBP vaccine has been well tolerated with only mild and transient temperature reactions observed. It appears

that control measures, with vaccination playing a significant role, has largely been successful in containing the disease, with no new cases having been reported for

almost a month.

SALES OF AHS VACCINE IN THAILAND

African horsesickness (AHS) is caused by infection with any of nine serotypes of the African horsesickness virus,

which circulate in equine populations across most of Africa. The disease is prevalent wherever suitable animal hosts are present in the same areas as the infected Culicoides midges that

transmit the virus through blood-feeding. All equids can be infected, and while horses show the most severe clinical disease with a mortality rate as high as 95%, it is less

serious in mules and donkeys, while zebras do not show any signs of infection.

AHS has been recognised as one of the most severe afflictions of horses ever since they were introduced onto the continent.

It has also been prioritised for the development of a cure or vaccine by Sir Arnold Theiler, even before it was recognised as a viral disease in the early 1900s and his early efforts focused on using serum from recovered mules mixed with infectious blood from horses, as a crude vaccine. This was followed by the discovery at Onderstepoort that the virus loses its virulence (ability to cause clinical disease) if it is grown over several generations in small laboratory animals, thus generating an attenuated form of the virus that does not cause disease, but induces immunity

when administered to horses. Dr Baltus Erasmus furthered this work by developing a set of live attenuated vaccine strains in cell cultures, instead of animals. This vaccine is still in production today at OBP as a multivalent product of two bottles, containing seven of the nine serotypes to be used as a yearly inoculation. Through yearly administration of the vaccine for at least the first 5 years of its life, a horse can be afforded complete and long-lasting immune protection.

Disease spread and epidemics

Localised spreading of AHS takes place with movement of the infected midges, but another important mechanism of spread is through the movement of infected horses or other equines, while they are not obviously sick. Both local and international transport of horses or zebras has in the past, been implicated in major outbreaks in South

Africa, and internationally, in the Middle East, Pakistan, India, and the Iberian Peninsula.

The most recent significant AHS outbreak outside the endemic regions has occurred in Thailand. AHS

serotype 1 was first detected in a racing horse in the Pak Chong district in February 2020, the first time ever in a South East Asian country, and the first time in over 30 years outside Africa.

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CAREER SPOTLIGHT

Who are you? Please tell us about yourself? My name is Peter Coetzee, I am Afrikaans speaking and I am 38

years old. I am originally from Sasolburg in the Free state, how-ever, I’ve lived in Pretoria for most of my adult life. I am a microbiologist by vocation, with

a specialisation in virology. I was recently appointed as a Researcher in the RDV department at OBP.

Family? No family yet I’m afraid.

Where did you study? I completed my B.Sc, B.Sc Hons and M.Sc. degrees at the University of Pretoria Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Scienc-

es. My PhD and post doc work were done through the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the University of

Pretoria, Faculty of Veterinary Science. Career history /achievements?

As part of my career, I’ve taken part in many different research projects in the field of animal virology, working on a number of

viruses including rabies virus, bluetongue virus, African horse sickness virus and Rift Valley fever virus. Some of the aspects that I have been most proud of,

have been the work that I did on the molecular epidemiology of rabies in the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Provinces of South

Africa, where I was responsible for establishing the initial molecular epidemiological data-base that allows human and

animal cases to be traced to their likely points of origin. I also worked as a Medical Scientist at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases for two

years, where I was responsible for the molecular typing of polio as part of the efforts to eradicate the disease from Africa and Asia.

CAREER SPOTLIGHT continued…

As part of my PhD, I worked on various aspects of bluetongue virus disease biology, including investigations of aspects of the evolution of the virus, trans-placental infection, and viral virulence. I have also worked on the adaptation of the bluetongue virus to different reverse genetics systems. Over the past three years I was involved in the molecular diagnostics, next generation sequencing and vaccine development for equine viruses at the Equine Research Center at Onderstepoort. There, I initially worked as a research officer and was later appointed in a research position. During my appointment, I spent 6 months in the R&D labs of a major international pharmaceutical company, where I worked on a recombinant canarypox virus vaccine. This experience made me decide to pursue a full-time career in R&D with a focus on vaccinology; eventually leading to my appointment at OBP as a Researcher in the RDV department. Some of the accomplishments during my career thus far include a number of publications in peer reviewed scientific journals and a membership to the International Golden Key Honour Society that recognises scholastic achievement. A day in the life of a researcher. What are your responsibilities? Currently, I am still trying to find my feet, however, I have already become involved in efforts to complete some of the dossiers for our legacy vaccine products. For the present moment, I am concerned with the molecular typing of certain viral master seeds and the establishment of new molecular based quality control methods in the RDV. I am also at present involved in an animal trial, where we are investigating the performance of different adjuvants as part of the development process for a new inactivated vaccine product. My day to day activities include meeting staff from the different departments, writing project proposals, doing classical virology-based laboratory techniques, updating SOPs, ordering consumables, and attending meetings where new ideas are being discussed. I have also spent a

considerable amount of time familiarising myself with the projects that are being conducted in RDV and with getting to know RDV's systems, policies and procedures.

Hopes / aspirations? My current aspiration is to become a fully productive member of the RDV team as soon as possible, so that I can provide a tangible contribution to OBP's institutional objectives. Life philosophies? Be humble, kind and forgiving. Also, be tenacious and don’t give up. Happiest moments? Seeing the northern lights for the first time, when I visited Tromso in northern Norway. Hobbies? I like to exercise in the evenings, watch a movie on a Friday night, and I enjoy an occasional glass of red wine.

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Dr Peter Coetzee, R&D Viral Department

5

On the technical side, I have had the privilege of growing through international technical networks, outstanding local mentors, past and present, and further stimulated by my constant curiosity to learn and teach. Prior to a career in the pharmaceutical industry, I spent 4 years as a state veterinarian in QwaQwa, Free State Province, and at the National Department of Agriculture (now named Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development – DALRRD). A day in the life of a researcher. What are your responsibilities? While focused on hitting the ground running, the key priority has been attending to the most urgent of external customer needs, including marketing activities, pharmacovigilance, farmers information-sharing, and other diverse areas of interest presented daily by the interesting assignments. Internally and in the journey of finding my feet, I liaise with various cross-functional teams in various research projects, regulatory affairs, new projects and sales. Hopes / aspirations? I aspire to fully integrate into the OBP family as quickly and as smoothly as possible, in order to make a meaningful impact on OBP customers, especially farmers in their diversity as custodians of food security in Southern Africa, the rest of the continent and our clients abroad. Life philosophies? Humility makes it easier for one to be a lifelong student, learning new things every day from people below and above me. I do not subscribe to the notion of respect being earned, instead have grown to appreciate the value of giving respect unconditionally.

Dr Sello Maboe, Sales & Marketing Department

Happiest moments? Too many to mention. In the middle of a pandemic, one gets harshly reawakened to the value of appreciating life’s everyday blessings. Waking up healthy, seeing beautiful smiles on the kids’ faces and hearing their infectious laughter, makes one look forward to each new day as a new chapter in the book of life, with its accompanying challenges. The joy of delivering primary animal health solutions to food producers is also another major piece of the puzzle in the provision of healthy safe food to the final consumer of animal protein, while saving animals and humans from preventable diseases.

Hobbies? With my kind of rural wiring, it was not difficult to embrace outdoor life in the presence of animals. I like reading and learning new things regularly. I exercise moderately as well.

CAREER SPOTLIGHT continued…

CAREER SPOTLIGHT

Who are you? Please tell us about yourself? My name is Sello Maboe. I am originally from Fafung in the North West Province. I am a veterinarian by training and an academic at heart, with a special interest in ruminants. I recently joined the OBP’s Sales Team as a Technical and Marketing Manager. Family? I am married and blessed with 3 beautiful daughters and a son. Where did you study? I completed my BVMCh degree at the Medical University of Southern Africa (MEDUNSA), in 1999, with the last 2 years of my training at the amalgamated Faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Pretoria, Onder-stepoort. I am currently also finalising my postgraduate studies in ruminant health with the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science. Career history /achievements? I recently rejoined the animal pharmaceutical industry early this year after 3 years as a lecturer and section head of the Production Animal Clinic in Production Animal Studies, of the University of Pretoria’s Veterinary Faculty. Prior to that, I spent 13 years in the pharmaceutical industry with 2 multinational companies in various roles, including technical, marketing and business develop-ment. My humbling achievements include successful product launches in my marketing roles, which to date, remain market leaders in the industry. My passion for food security has inevitably channeled me into mainly intensive animal production, spanning across poultry, pigs, but mostly ruminants.

With the lockdown affecting OBP as well, the security department has been assisting the health services at the main gate entrance, to screen staff, contractors, and visitors. Forms are filled in, temperatures are taken, masks are worn and hands sanitised, before access on the premises is permitted. This procedure therefore lengthens the time peri-od for everyone to gain access onsite. Please be patient as this measure is in place to pro-tect us all. The Reception area has also been closed for the duration of the lockdown period, as all visitors report at the main gate to adhere to the safety measures in place. Should you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to inform the person-nel on duty at the gate who will ensure you are assisted efficiently.

OBP DURING LOCKDOWN WELCOME TO THE NEW OBP TIMES NEWSLETTER

It has been something that OBP has talked about getting off the ground; finally, here it is!

We feel that it is important to share our stories with our external stakeholders, who are an extension of our family.

This, being the first edition of many to come, we hope to grow together and try to keep you abreast of what is happening with us.

So, sit back and enjoy a moment of catching up with us...

HAPPY READING!!

Editor: Ms Zipho Linda

www.obpvaccines.co.za

Onderstepoort Biological Products SOC Ltd

Private Bag X07

Onderstepoort

0110

South Africa

Tel: 012 522 1500

Fax : 012 522 1591

National Sales Tel: 012 522 1685/86/87/88

Export Sales Tel: 012 522 1621

The Modiane-Lekgolo Communal Property Association is a beef

animal project established by community members of Lekgolo

village, following a successful land restitution. The beef project runs

a Bonsmara-type cow-calf operation on the outskirts of the village,

utilizing just over 700ha of adequately fenced-in grazing. After a

successful initial contact with OBP, a mutually beneficial relationship

took off, with adoption of the project as part of reaching out to

emerging farmers that specifically require primary animal health

support. Today, the day started with vaccination of their herd for

blackquarter, botulism and pasteurellosis, following by an

information session with the CPA executive committee for the

remainder of the day. All thanks to the Moretele district veterinary

services office, particularly Mr. Jan Maime, for the successful

coordination. Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) looks

forward to more fruitful collaborations of this kind and wishing the

producers well in their endeavours to contribute to the nation’s food

security.

LEKGOLO VILLAGE OUTREACH