More than 700 veterinarians will talk everything animals at the Southern Hemisphere’s largest animal health conference in Adelaide next week, from May 15 to 20.

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) annual conference will bring practitioners together from throughout Australia and abroad, for a week of presentations on the health, behaviour and welfare of Australian production livestock, horses, pets and wildlife.

With seven major international speakers, 94 exhibitors and over 200 sessions at the Adelaide Convention Centre, this is the largest conference of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
Conference highlights will include:
• Agrichemical threat: Dr Matt Landos talks about the need for government intervention to deal with the ticking chemical time bomb that threatens Australian people and animals.
• New and emerging cattle diseases: Cattle expert Dr Rob Bonanno talks about new diseases threatening Australia’s herds following the record wet weather.
• Update on a Hendra virus vaccination: Dr Deborah Middleton will talk about her work on the development of a horse vaccine against this deadly virus, as we enter the Hendra infection season.

Dr Barry Smyth, president of the Australian Veterinary Association said vets played vital roles in human health and welfare through disease control, food safety, scientific research, biosecurity, quarantine and agriculture and this was reflected in this year’s conference.
“The impressive program showcases the amazing breadth of work done by Australia’s vets,” Dr Smyth said.
Further information about the AVA annual conference is available online at: www.ava.com.au/conference