February 4, 2011

Zimbabwe bans South African meat imports over Rift Valley Fever fears

Zimbabwe has temporarily banned imports of meat products and the movement of live animals from South Africa following reports of an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in the Western and Eastern Cape provinces, according to Zimbabwe media source on Thursday (Feb 3).

Acting principal director for Livestock and Veterinary Services in the Ministry of Agriculture, William Shereni, said the Zimbabwean authorities were consulting their South African counterparts on how the situation could be contained.

"We fear that since there is no government vaccination programme in that country, some farmers may not be vaccinating their animals and may easily transmit the disease across the border," he said.

South Africa's Department of Agriculture announced this week that Rift Valley Fever outbreaks had been reported at Grootbrakrivier and in Drakenstein.

Three cases of human infection have also been reported by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

Rift Valley Fever is a disease that affects both animals and humans. It easily infects sheep, goats, cattle and some wildlife species. The disease is spread by mosquitoes and causes abortion in animals and death in their young.

Humans can get infected if they come into contact with bodily fluids from infected animals.

They can also contract Rift Valley Fever during the slaughtering of infected animals and through carcasses and meat of infected animals.