So, what exactly is Rift Valley fever, how it is treated, and how it can be controlled?<\/p>\n
What is Rift Valley fever?<\/p>\n
Rift Valley fever<\/a> is a zoonosis (a disease affecting animals that can be transmitted to humans). It is caused by the RVF virus, a phlebovirus<\/a> from the Phenuiviridae family (order Bunyavirales). The disease primarily affects domestic animals, mainly cattle, sheep and goats, but also camelids and other small ruminants. It can occasionally infect humans. <\/p>\n In animals, the disease causes high morbidity: reduced milk production, high newborn mortality, mass abortions in pregnant females, and death in 10% to 20% of cases. This leads to serious economic losses for farmers.<\/p>\n Most people who get Rift Valley fever have no symptoms or just flu-like syndrome. But in a few people, it can become very serious, causing complications such as eye disorders, meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain), or hemorrhagic fever. The fatality rate among infected people is around 1%.<\/p>\n How it\u2019s transmitted<\/p>\n In animals, the disease is mainly spread through bites from infected mosquitoes. At least 50 mosquito species can transmit the Rift Valley fever virus, including Aedes, Culex, Anopheles and Mansonia species. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on animals carrying the virus in their blood, then transmit it to other animals through their bites. In Aedes mosquitoes, vertical transmission \u2013 from infected females to their eggs \u2013 is also possible, allowing the virus to survive in the environment.<\/p>\n For humans, the most common way to get infected is through direct contact with the blood or organs of an infected animal. This often happens during veterinary work, slaughtering, or butchering. <\/p>\n While it is also possible for human to get the virus from a mosquito bite, this is not common. No human-to-human transmission has been observed to date.<\/p>\n The origins and spread<\/p>\n A serious outbreak of Rift Valley fever<\/a> began to be reported<\/a> in Senegal in late September 2025. The west African country has been battling<\/a> to control it. <\/p>\n The disease was first discovered<\/a> in 1931 in the Rift Valley in Kenya in east Africa, during a human epidemic of 200 cases. The virus itself was isolated and identified in 1944 in neighbouring Uganda. <\/p>\n The RVF virus under an electron microscope. Since then, numerous outbreaks of the disease have been reported in Africa: in Egypt (1977<\/a>), Madagascar (1990, 2021)<\/a>, Kenya (1997, 1998)<\/a>, in Somalia (1998)<\/a>, in Tanzania (1998)<\/a>, the Comoros (2007-2008) and Mayotte (2018-2019)<\/a>. <\/p>\n In west Africa, the main epidemics affected Mauritania (1987, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2010, 2012)<\/a>, Senegal (1987, 2013-2014)<\/a> and Niger (2016)<\/a>.<\/p>\n Its spread into the Sahel and west African regions has been largely driven by the movement of livestock, and by environmental factors. <\/p>\n To date, around 30 countries have reported animal and\/or human cases in the form of outbreaks or epidemics.<\/p>\n Why and how outbreaks occur<\/p>\n Rift Valley fever reemerges in cyclical patterns, with major outbreaks occurring in Africa every five to 15 years. The trigger for these outbreaks is closely linked to specific environmental conditions, like periods of heavy rainfall that create ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes.<\/p>\n In east Africa, epidemics typically follow periods of exceptionally heavy rainfall or flooding in normally dry regions. For instance, the severe outbreaks of 1998-1999 were directly linked to intense rains caused by the El Ni\u00f1o climate phenomenon.<\/p>\n Read more: In the Sahel region, the relationship with rainfall is less predictable. Outbreaks can appear in unexpected, poorly monitored areas, and genetic analysis of viruses in Mauritania suggests that new strains can be introduced directly from other regions.<\/p>\n A key mystery is how the virus persists in the environment between these major outbreaks. It is believed to survive in the environment within a \u201cwild reservoir\u201d of animals \u2013 such as certain antelopes, deer, and possibly even reptiles \u2013 though this reservoir has not yet been fully identified.<\/p>\n Once an initial outbreak occurs, the virus can spread to new areas. This happens through the movement of infected livestock, the accidental transport of infected mosquitoes (for example, in vehicles or cargo), and when environmental conditions are conducive.<\/p>\n Clinical symptoms and treatments<\/p>\n Adult cattle and sheep may show nasal discharge, excessive salivation, loss of appetite, weakness, diarrhoea.<\/p>\n In humans, after an incubation period of two to six days, most infections are asymptomatic or mild, with flu-like symptoms lasting four to seven days. People who recover from the infection typically gain natural immunity.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/file-20251021-56-gfwv1m.jpg\")
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