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| Situation Update No. 5 Ref.no.: EH-20100310-25260-ZAF
Situation Update No. 5
On 2010-03-29 at 03:23:17 [UTC]
Event: Epidemic Hazard
Location: South Africa MultiStates Free State and Northern Cape
Number of Deads: 1 person(s)
Number of Infected: 47 person(s)
Situation: Agri SA president Johannes Moller told The Times that, despite the "seriousness" of the epidemic, "the May frosts should help the virus die off". Since the outbreak of the viral epidemic, which is spread to livestock by mosquitos after heavy rains, has caused the deaths of two men in the Free State since February. An additional 54 people contracted the disease in the Free State, four were infected in the Eastern Cape and five in the Northern Cape, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases said. The infected were described as farmers, veterinarians and farm workers, the department of health said. Over 50000 head of livestock are suspected of having contracted the disease, the department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries said. Möller said that because the virus did not occur regularly in South Africa - the last major outbreak was between 1974 and 1976 - "it usually catches us unawares, because South Africa is normally too dry for the virus to survive". "Even though it is spreading, it is not a major national threat and we should be able to contain it within two or three weeks," Möller said. However, he said, the virus does "spread like wildfire once it starts", and because i t's not a major threat in South Africa, the government-run Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute "won't have adequate vaccine reserves . So we will have to import vaccines, and that will take a while . .. but winter will save us. " The Free State department of agriculture has started to vaccinate animals while other affected provinces are following suit. Dr Phemelo Kegakilwe, senior manager of veterinary services in the Northern Cape, said their department has ordered vaccines and that farmers will be able to borrow vaccines and replace the stocks when they are available. Möller assured consumers that the infection rate in humans is low. |  | | | |
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