National Department of health spokesperson Charity Bhengu revealed that the Free State carried a greater burden with 107 cases, 56 in the Northern Cape, 13 in the Eastern Cape, three in the Western Cape, and two in the North West. Two other cases were not linked to any province.
She confirmed that 17 people had died of RVF since the start of the outbreak in February this year. The latest deaths were reported in Britstown and Karos in the Northern Cape.
Bhengu said a 34-year-old man from Britstown in the Northern Cape, was infected with RVF after having had contact with infected animal tissue.
‘The majority of human cases have had mild flu-like symptoms and have not developed complications. There is no human to human spread. The risk of disease is to persons having direct contact with blood or tissues of infected animals and the majority of people affected have been persons working on farms, veterinary workers and slaughtermen,’ Bhengu said.
Bhengu urged the public to avoid contact with the tissue of infected animals, refrain from drinking unpasteurised milk and to prevent mosquito bites to curb chances of infection.
