Outbreak Response teams dispatched to the affected four provinces, namely, Free State, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and North West, continue in responding to the outbreak by tracking the mode of human infection and confirming new incidents, issuing daily updates, as well as intensifying public awareness to prevent the spread.

So far, the diagnosis of RVF among human beings in South Africa as confirmed by NICD remains at 139 cases with 9 mortalities since the first incident on 13 February 2010. Of the 139 laboratory confirmed human cases of RVF, 93 cases including 5 deaths are from Free State, 36 cases including 4 deaths are from Northern Cape, 8 cases from the Eastern Cape, 1 from North West and 1 whose history is still unknown.

The outbreak and surveillance response teams, supported by a technical expert from the World Health Organisation Geneva have prioritised the following response measures:

·                 laboratory, epidemiology and surveillance interventions (for diagnosis, case finding and investigation) ;

·                 health promotion interventions;

·                 environmental health measures; and

·                 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. No human-to-human transmission of RVF virus has ever been documented.

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 is vaccinating animals to contain the spread of the RVF 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 1% 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; and
• 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; and

·                 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, Media Liaison 0836797424

Media interviews:             Dr Frew Benson (NDoH) 0823724199

Dr Patrick Moonasar (NDoH) 0825783107

Dr Charles Mugero (NDoH) 0827175306

ISSUED BY NATIONAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH ON TUESDAY 20 APRIL 2010.