May 25, 2010

Livestock vaccinations to curb Rift Valley Fever in South Africa

A total of 7,660 livestock in South Africa have been vaccinated on farms in areas where Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is prevalent, according to the North West agriculture department.

The department and its veterinary services directorate, had vaccinated animals in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati districts, where outbreaks were reported in March this year, the department said.

Director for veterinary services in the department, Dr Langa Madyibi said veterinary public health officers and animal health technicians were working with locals to advise them how to contain the disease.

"We are so far pleased by the farmer's co-operation as most captured cases were reported by them," said Madyibi. "But we envisage that due to the drop in temperature and hopefully the onset of frost soon, the disease will be curtailed."

North West MEC Boitumelo Tshwene, in his budget vote speech last week, assured soccer fans they would not contract the disease as measures had been put in place to control it.