After Rift Valley fever was confirmed last weekend in the Kakamas–Augrabies area, pressure has increased on the Registrar of Act 36 of 1947 to register a new vaccine against the disease. The application has been stalled for years.
By Charl van Rooyen, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
The outbreak of the highly dangerous disease in a sheep flock in the Kakamas–Augrabies area was confirmed over the weekend after tests were conducted at the ARC Onderstepoort Veterinary Research laboratory. This is yet another major setback for the livestock industry, as foot-and-mouth disease is spreading rapidly and trade is already heavily disrupted.
African Farming reported in March 2023 that Design Biologix, a private vaccine manufacturer in Pretoria, was ready to start producing a vaccine for Rift Valley fever and was hoping that the authorities would register it “soon”.
Karen Nel, the owner of Design Biologix, and COO Dr Angela Buys hoped for quick registration based on the expectation that the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development realised the seriousness of the problems surrounding vaccines for livestock diseases. By then, Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) was already unable to produce certain vaccines, or sufficient quantities of them.
Also read: OBP silent amidst vaccine shortage
African Farming approached Design Biologix for comment, but the company said it could not comment yet as it was still preparing its response.
According to information received, OBP’s Rift Valley fever vaccine is currently sold out, and new stock will only be available next year. The communications office of the minister of agriculture, John Steenhuisen, was asked whether there was any possibility that the new vaccine would be registered urgently, but no response was received and a phone call went unanswered.
Also read: Northern Cape Agriculture issues urgent warning following Rift Valley Fever outbreak
“We will need to make a plan with vaccines very quickly, otherwise our farmers will suffer enormous losses – especially now that foot-and-mouth disease is already present in large parts of the country,” says Prof Leon Prozesky, formerly a professor at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science and now affiliated with Path Diagnostics Africa.
Aedes mosquitoes spread the virus that causes Rift Valley fever, and warm, humid summer conditions can worsen the spread of the virus. The latest outbreak in the Northern Cape follows years of warnings from experts that the disease would eventually flare up during a wet season. Pans, dams and wetlands, now filled after widespread rains, create conditions that favour the breeding of mosquitoes.
The Northern Cape Department of Agriculture has issued an urgent health warning, alerting farmers, workers and medical personnel to the risk of the rapid spread of Rift Valley fever and the danger it poses to humans and animals. Veterinarians have been advised to vaccinate all sheep, goats and cattle in the region immediately.
Farmers are also advised to implement strict mosquito control around kraals and water points.
Vaccination is the only defence against the disease because it is so unpredictable, and it is impossible to fully protect animals from mosquitoes.
Also read: Rift Valley fever is deadly for humans and animals; vaccinate now
Look Out for These Symptoms
Clinical signs include fever, lethargy, sluggish movement, and loss of appetite.
Late-pregnant ewes may abort or give birth to weak, non-viable lambs after contracting the virus. These lambs may die shortly after birth. Surviving lambs often show stunted growth.
The disease can also limit udder development in late-pregnant ewes, leading to lower milk production. Milk production in lactating ewes that stop eating because of fever drops immediately, harming the growth of suckling lambs.
Humans can also become seriously ill, mainly when handling sick or dead animals.
* This is a developing story and will be updated as soon as more information from the minister or from Design Biologix becomes available.
Also read: Steenhuisen hints at private vaccine manufacturing amid Rift Valley fever outbreak
