SOUTHERN CAPE NEWS - A state-of-the-art laboratory where bacteria and viruses can be isolated and stored, and vaccines and antibiotics developed and manufactured for use in the dairy industry was introduced at Tramonto last Thursday evening.

Local farmers and vets were invited to a smart cocktail function for a presentation of the Deltamune dairy laboratory's services. The laboratory, situated in Oudtshoorn, is unique in the sense that it is the only centre in the country that offers a complete range of testing and related services for the dairy industry under one roof.

These include isolation and identification of viruses and bacteria, diagnosis of diseases, the development of vaccines and antibiotics specific to the needs of herds, and dairy product safety tests.

Deltamune's high-tech equipment and leading-edge facilities also enable it to do salmonella testing, making them one of only two laboratories in South Africa that offer this service.

"In the past farmers and operators in the dairy industry had to send test samples to three or four different labs for different tests. Local farmers were dependent on laboratories as far as Gauteng," said Deltamune CEO Dr Hannes Swart. "Having a testing facility of this nature nearby, offers the advantage of quicker results and earlier treatment. For the farmer it is about saving precious time. The profit margins in farming are so low that farmers have to be all the more precise in managing their herds."

He said that developing vaccines specific to the needs of clients here, may in future lead to these vaccines being registered.
The laboratory has already had a presence in the region since 2011 when it was first established with the aim to service the ostrich industry suffering from the effects of bird flu. Seeing that almost 40% of South Africa's milk is produced along the coast between Cape Town the Eastern Cape, it had made sense to expand their services here, said Swart.

Tests done at Deltamune can also assist in improving herd genetics. Other services include environmental hygiene monitoring with regard to the milk parlour, milking equipment, staff, bulk tanks and tankers and procession plants.

Deon Gallus, public relations manager, added, "Our passion is to be the best and when someone sends in a sample for testing, they should have the peace of mind that they don't need to check up on us. We also deliver fast results." The company's head office is in Centurion and they have an animal health division in the Pretoria area.

* Deltamune, 'n toetslaboratorium in Oudtshoorn, is verlede Donderdagaand by Tramonto onder plaaslike suiwelboere en veeartse bekendgestel. Die moderne toerus-ting waaroor dit beskik, stel die laborato-rium in staat om entstowwe en antibiotika te ontwikkel en 'n groot verskeidenheid toetse te doen waarvoor boere voorheen van verskeie laboratoriums so ver as Gauteng gebruik moes maak.


Deltamune's team, from left: CFO Steven Kruger, Oudtshoorn Laboratory Manager Claudia Falch, Customer Relations Manager Deon Gallus, COO Dr Stefan Swanepoel, CEO Dr Hannes Swart and Shared Services Manager Ellen Heydenrych.