IVIS

Dear fellow immunologists,

On behalf of the Organising Committee, it is our privilege to welcome you to the 13th International Veterinary Immunology Symposium (IVIS2023), hosted in the heart of one of Africa’s iconic game reserves – the Kruger National Park, South Africa.

This is the first time this symposium is hosted in Southern Africa, which therefore creates an opportunity for meeting colleagues from Africa and the rest of the globe on African soil. You will be able to experience some of the African culture, tourism opportunities and local cuisine!

The Kruger Park and surrounding rural areas are emblematic of both the opportunities and threats that co-exist at the interface of human societies, their domestic animals, free-living wildlife, and the environments that they inhabit.  In a context of global change, sustainably improved livestock systems and disease control are essential for not only the commercial livestock trade, but also for subsistence farming, food safety and security, human wellbeing, and the biodiversity conservation of ecologically and economically important ecosystems. In this spirit, the IVIS2023 will address the challenging research issues raised for veterinary science in a One World – One Health perspective.

The IVIS2023 will also bring together experts to share most exciting results and insights in the field of veterinary science and immunology, including biological mechanisms underlying host-pathogen interactions and specificities, vaccine and therapeutic strategies, innate and protective immunity, disease diagnosis and control, reagent and methodological developments. This will be an opportunity for delegates from all involved sectors to engage with leaders in the field and network in the comfort of a state-of-the-art conference facility.

We want to thank the Organising Committee for all their hard work and time to organize the symposium. The organizing team made a huge effort to “pull out all the stops” to make this a truly memorable event.

May we also take this opportunity to thank the scientific committee comprising both local and international members for evaluating abstracts and selecting papers for oral presentations and posters.

Last but not least, a big word of thanks to all our sponsors and exhibitors for contributing financially towards the symposium.

On behalf of the Organising Committee, who put in a lot of time apart from their normal daily jobs to organize the IVIS2023, we wish you a memorable congress, both scientifically and socially – enjoy your stay in South Africa!

Sven Parsons (South Africa) &  Dr Claire Rogel-Gaillard (France)
Symposium Co-chairs