Rift Valley Fever cases rise to 52
Bloemfontein - The number of people with confirmed infections of Rift Valley Fever has increased to 52, most of them in the Free State, the Department of Health said on Thursday.
Spokesperson Charity Bhengu said five more people have been infected with Rift Valley Fever (RVF) bringing the total to 52 of laboratory confirmed human cases since the first incident on February 13, 2010.
"The mortality rate remains the same at two (in the Free State)," Bhengu said.
The National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD) reported 46 cases in the Free State, three in the Eastern Cape and three in the Northern Cape.
Contact with livestock
Bhengu said the main risk factor for the infection remained direct contact with RVF-infected livestock by farmers, veterinarians, farm workers and their co-workers and families. The department said additional suspect cases were currently being tested. The disease was continuing to spread among livestock such as sheep, goats and cattle on farms within the Free State, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng. Cases were also identified in North West.
RVF is a viral disease that can cause severe illness in a low proportion of infected humans. The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and causes outbreaks of abortion and deaths of young livestock.
Humans become infected from contact with infected tissues of livestock and less frequently from mosquito bites. - SAPA
Spokesperson Charity Bhengu said five more people have been infected with Rift Valley Fever (RVF) bringing the total to 52 of laboratory confirmed human cases since the first incident on February 13, 2010.
"The mortality rate remains the same at two (in the Free State)," Bhengu said.
The National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD) reported 46 cases in the Free State, three in the Eastern Cape and three in the Northern Cape.
Contact with livestock
Bhengu said the main risk factor for the infection remained direct contact with RVF-infected livestock by farmers, veterinarians, farm workers and their co-workers and families. The department said additional suspect cases were currently being tested. The disease was continuing to spread among livestock such as sheep, goats and cattle on farms within the Free State, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng. Cases were also identified in North West.
RVF is a viral disease that can cause severe illness in a low proportion of infected humans. The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and causes outbreaks of abortion and deaths of young livestock.
Humans become infected from contact with infected tissues of livestock and less frequently from mosquito bites. - SAPA
This article was published by News24 on the 25 March 2010.
