139 cases of Rift Valley Fever

17 April 2010

A total of 139 of laboratory confirmed human cases of Rift Valley Fever have been reported this morning by the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) Laboratory since the first incident on 13 February 2010. Of these, 93 cases are from Free State, 36 cases from Northern Cape, eight from the Eastern Cape, one from North West and one whose history is still unknown.

A total of nine mortalities from RVF have been confirmed, five from Free State and four from the Northern Cape.

The Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, supported by the South African Field Epidemiology and Training Programme (SA-FELTP) and NICD, continue to respond to the outbreak. The following response measures are being prioritised:

* Laboratory, epidemiology and surveillance interventions (for diagnosis, case finding and investigation)
* Health promotion interventions
* Environmental health measures
* Management of confirmed cases.

Direct contact with RVF-infected livestock and or linked to farms with confirmed animal cases of RVF, remain the main risk factor for the infection. The human cases are farmers, veterinarians and farm workers. Additional suspect cases are currently being tested.

Affected farms are primarily clustered within Free State (initially in Lejweleputswa District, Bultfontein area). The Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Northern Cape and North West Provinces have also reported RVF among animals.

The Department of Agriculture in Free State has vaccinated animals, to contain the spread of the virus.

RVF is a viral disease that can cause severe disease in a low proportion of infected humans. The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and causes outbreaks of abortion and deaths of young livestock (sheep, goats and cattle). It is important to note that, humans become infected from contact with infected tissues of livestock and less frequently from mosquito bites. The disease occurs throughout Africa and Madagascar when exceptionally heavy rains favour the breeding of the mosquito vectors.

Clinical features in humans:

Typically illness is asymptomatic or mild in the vast majority of infected persons, and severe disease would be expected to occur in less than one percent of infected persons.

Key symptoms:

* The incubation period (interval from infection to onset of symptoms) for RVF varies from two to six days
* Sudden onset of flu-like fever and/or muscle pain
* Some patients develop neck stiffness, sensitivity to light, loss of appetite and vomiting
* Symptoms of RVF usually last from four to seven days, after which time the immune response becomes detectable with the appearance of antibodies and the virus gradually disappears from the blood.

Severe form of RVF in humans includes:

* Vision disturbances
* Intense headache, loss of memory, hallucinations, confusion, disorientation, vertigo, convulsions, lethargy and coma
* Haemorrhagic fever.

People living in the affected areas are encouraged to seek medical attention at their nearest health facilities, should they have any of the above symptoms.

Preventive measures:

While there is no specific treatment, the majority of persons affected will recover completely. People should avoid contact with the tissues of infected animals, refrain from drinking unpasteurised milk and prevent mosquito bites to avoid becoming infected. Farmers and veterinarians should wear protective clothing when handling sick animals or their tissues. There is no routine vaccine available for humans.

Media enquiries:
Charity Bhengu
Cell: 083 679 7424

Media interviews:
Frew Benson
Cell: 082 372 4199

Patrick Moonasar
Cell: 082 578 3107

Charles Mugero
Cell: 082 717 5306

Lucille Blumberg
Cell: 082 807 6770

Issued by: Department of Health
17 April 2010