Abstract
Several outbreaks of Rift Valley fever (RVF) have been documented in South Africa since it first occurred in the country in 1950. However, there is no comprehensive account of the timing, location and extent of all known outbreaks. As part of a study investigating the epidemiology of RVF in South Africa, a full history of outbreaks was compiled using references to the disease in South Africa from scientific literature, annual reports, disease reports and animal disease databases. The geographic location and temporal occurrence of each outbreak were recorded as accurately as allowed by the available records. The result was a better and more complete picture than has hitherto been available of the spatial and temporal distribution of RVF in South Africa for the period between 1950 and 2011. Several smaller outbreaks which had not been described previously in literature were documented. Extensive outbreaks occurred in the central interior of the country (Free State, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape provinces), interspersed with smaller outbreaks or long intervening periods of absence, whilst smaller outbreaks occurred in the eastern part of the country (KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng).
Highlights
Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic viral disease of ruminants that is transmitted by mosquitoes of various genera
Since its first occurrence in South Africa in 1950, RVF has been a notifiable or reportable disease and the disease reports of the veterinary services were considered to be a good source of information on occurrence of the disease
Disease reports to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Southern African Regional Commission for the Conservation and Utilisation of the Soil (SARCCUS) were included in the search
Summary
Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic viral disease of ruminants that is transmitted by mosquitoes of various genera. In animals RVF can be inapparent, or cause peracute or acute disease. The most noted effect is abortions, but it can cause fever leading to mortalities in young animals, especially lambs. Humans can contract RVF following contact with tissues of infected animals. The symptoms in humans are mostly those of a febrile, influenza-like illness, but in severe cases it can lead to haemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, retinal haemorrhage and even death (Swanepoel & Coetzer 2004). RVF typically occurs in South Africa as outbreaks interspersed with long periods of absence. Areas where RVF has occurred in the past are likely to experience re-occurrences (Gerdes 2004)
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