27 February 2009
The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Agriculture and Environmental Affairs, Mtholephi
Mthimkhulu, wishes to announce that there has been positive confirmation of
Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in some farms around Creighton area under Sisonke
District Municipality.
The fever was confirmed by KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and
Enviromental Affairsâ State Veterinarians today after a few animals were
suspected of having contracted the virus.
The MEC has urgently summoned his Veterinary Services Unit (VSU) to put
together an urgent plan of action to handle this matter.
A joint task team comprising government, organised agricultural unions
(KwaNalu and Nafu) and community based organisations has been put in place to
develop a comprehensive plan of action.
The MEC wishes to reassure members of the public that the department is on
top of the situation and there is no reason to panic.
Working together, we can do more to create a food secure province!
Masilime sinakekele imvelo ukuze silwe nendlala nezifo KwaZulu-Natali!
What is Rift Valley Fever?
* Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a viral zoonosis that primarily affects animals
but also has the capacity to infect humans. Infection can cause severe disease
in both animals and humans, leading to high rates of disease and death.
* RVF virus is a member of the Phlebovirus genus, one of the five genera in
the family Bunyaviridae. The virus was first identified in 1931 during an
investigation into an epidemic among sheep on a farm in the Rift Valley of
Kenya. Since then, outbreaks have been reported in sub-Saharan and North
Africa. In 1997-98, a major outbreak occurred in Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania
and in September 2000, RVF cases were confirmed in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
Rift Valley Fever vectors
* Several different species of mosquito are able to act as vectors for
transmission of the RVF virus. The dominant vector species varies between
different regions and different species can play different roles in sustaining
the transmission of the virus.
* Among animals, the RVF virus is spread primarily by the bite of infected
mosquitoes, mainly the Aedes species, which can acquire the virus from feeding
on infected animals. The female mosquito is also capable of transmitting the
virus directly to her offspring via eggs leading to new generations of infected
mosquitoes hatching from eggs.
Prevention and controlling of RVF
* Outbreaks of RVF in animals can be prevented by a sustained programme of
animal vaccination. Both modified live attenuated virus and inactivated virus
vaccines have been developed for veterinary use.
For more information contact:
Khulekani Ntshangase
Cell: 082 415 7277
Issued by: Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs,
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
27 February 2009
