Professor Dr. Robert von Ostertag

Abstract

Robert von Ostertag was a German veterinary scientist who studied medicine in Berlin and veterinary science in Stuttgart. He was born on March 24, 1864 (place not known) and died on October 7, 1940 (place not known). In 1910 von Ostertag conducted a veterinary tour of inspection throughout German South West Africa (now Namibia) on instruction of the German colonial authorities. In 1913 von Ostertag was sent to German East Africa (now mainly Tanzania) to investigate rinderpest. In 1920 he became head of veterinary services in Germany.His name is lent to Ostertagia, a genus of attenuated nematodes of the family Trichostrongylidae that are found in cysts on the wall of the abomasum of cattle and other ruminants. (Source: S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science https://www.s2a3.org.za/bio/Biograph_final.php?serial=3366)