An outbreak of Rift Valley Fever has been confirmed in Graaff-Reinet and Kei Mouth.
According to the Eastern Cape’s Rural Development and Agrarian Reform Department, state vets have confirmed the deaths of three sheep in Kei Mouth and a cow in Graff-Reinet as a result of the disease and are trying to determine the extent of the outbreak.
The department has called for all susceptible stock to be vaccinated under supervision of a veterinary official using a new needle for each animal.
Rift Valley Fever is a viral disease in animals that is spread by mosquitoes. It causes abortions in sheep, goats and cattle and can cause death in young animals.
Humans can get infected if they come into contact with blood and other body fluids from infected animals, or if they assist with abortions and handle infectious aborted material, like foetuses, placentas and placental fluids.
Humans may also contract Rift Valley Fever during the slaughtering of infected animals and through the handling of carcasses and meat of infected animals.
The department has called for the following control measures to be implemented:
- Immediate notification of all mortalities, abortions and illness to local animal health technicians or state veterinarian.
- Carcasses, fetuses or products may not be destroyed or tampered with unless authorised by state vets.
- Carcasses must be disposed of by burning or burying.
- Precautions must be taken when handling sick animals, fetuses or carcasses. Minimum protective clothing should include gloves, goggles, overalls and boots.
- Additional control measures should include weekly spraying of stock with fly and mosquito control remedy, moving of animals away from standing water and moving of animals to high altitude areas.
This follows the outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in Mossel Bay earlier this month – BuaNews
From Wikipedia: Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a viral zoonosis causing fever (affects primarily domestic livestock, but can be passed to humans). It is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes, typically the Aedes or Culex genera. The disease is caused by the RVF virus, a member of the genus Phlebovirus (family Bunyaviridae). The disease was first reported among livestock in Kenya around 1915, but the virus was not isolated until 1931. RVF outbreaks occur across sub-Saharan Africa, with outbreaks occurring elsewhere infrequently (but sometimes severely – in Egypt in 1977-78, several million people were infected and thousands died during a violent epidemic. In Kenya in 1998, the virus claimed the lives of over 400 Kenyans. In September 2000 an outbreak was confirmed in Saudi Arabia and Yemen).
In humans the virus can cause several different syndromes. Usually sufferers have either no symptoms or only a mild illness with fever, headache, myalgia and liver abnormalities. In a small percentage of cases (< 2%) the illness can progress to hemorrhagic fever syndrome, meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain), or affecting the eye. Patients who become ill usually experience fever, generalized weakness, back pain, dizziness, and weight loss at the onset of the illness. Typically, patients recover within 2 to 7 days after onset.
Approximately 1% of human sufferers die of the disease. Amongst livestock the fatality level is significantly higher. In pregnant livestock infected with RVF there is the abortion of virtually 100% of fetuses. An epizootic (animal disease epidemic) of RVF is usually first indicated by a wave of unexplained abortions.
Alan Straton
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