Evidence of infection of sheep and, to a lesser extent, cattle, with Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus was obtained from a sero-epidemiological study conducted on four farms in the Chisamba area of the Central Province of Zam bia. This area was affected by an epizootic of RVF in the 1973/74 rain season; clinical cases were again reported during the 1977/78 rains. The results suggest that RVF virus is established enzootically in this area and that domestic sheep and cattle may be acting as a reservoir of infection.

No abstract

A review of rabies-positive cases between 1975 and 1982 showed that rabies occurred mainly in dogs. During this period a total of 1,384 cases were diagnosed, 1,076 (77.7%) of which were in dogs. During the same period, 280 cases occurred among farm animals, prin cipally in bovines (199 cases, 14.3%). The jackal was the most fre quently affected species among the wildlife population. Fourteen human cases were also confirmed at the laboratory during the same period. The role played by dogs and jackals in maintaining and spreading the disease in Zambia is presented and discussed.

No abstract

No abstract