Pretoria - Rift Valley Fever (RVF) has claimed nine lives in South Africa, with the number of infected people increasing to 139 cases.
On Saturday, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed a total of 139 cases, including 93 cases from the Free State, 36 from the Northern Cape, eight from the Eastern Cape, one from the North West and one whose history is still unknown.
Five deaths are from the Free State and four from the Northern Cape.
The Department of Health said together with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries supported by the South African Field Epidemiology and Training Programme and NICD, they continue to respond to the outbreak.
"Laboratory, epidemiology and surveillance interventions, health promotion interventions, environmental health measures, and management of confirmed cases are being prioritised," said the department.
The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and causes termination of gestation and deaths of young livestock.
Humans become infected from contact with infected tissues of livestock and less frequently from mosquito bites.
The department urged people living in the affected areas to seek medical attention at their nearest health facilities should they have any symptoms.
