Veterinarians in the Department Rural Development and Agrarian Reform have confirmed an outbreak of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in the Graaff- Reinet and Kei Mouth areas.
Confirmed deaths by state vets include three sheep in Kei Mouth and one cow in Graaff-Reinet. However, the state vets are working around the clock to find out the extent of the outbreak.
The following control measures must be applied:
- Vaccination of all susceptible stock under supervision of a veterinary official using a new needle for each animal
- Immediate notification of all mortalities, abortions and illness to local animal health technicians or state veterinarian
- Carcasses, foetuses 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, foetuses 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.
According to veterinarians, the Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a viral zoonosis endemic to Africa, which primarily affects animals but has the capacity to affect humans.
RVF causes large epizootics with high mortality rates in young animals and abortions of pregnancies in ruminants.
The epizootics typically occur following periods of heavy rainfall that promote the hatching of mosquito eggs carrying the RVF virus.
Symptoms of infected animals include but not limited to high lamb, kid or calf mortality, abortions, icterus, bloody diarrhoea, nose bleeding, fever and deaths.
Humans can get effected through contact with blood and other body fluids from the infected animals. Meat from a sick animal cannot be eaten.
For more information contact:
Yvonne Matsheketwa
Cell: 076 868 7257
