Rift Valley Fever:
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) affecting Mauritania and Senegal in Western Africa.
- It is caused by a Phlebovirus belonging to the Phenuiviridae family.
- It primarily affects animals such as sheep, goats, cattle, and camels.
- Humans become infected through close contact with infected animals or by the bite of infected mosquitoes.
- The virus has not been shown to spread from person to person.
- It derives its name from Kenya’s Rift Valley, where the disease was first recognised in the early 1930s.
- Since then, the infection has appeared across sub-Saharan Africa.
- In 1977, it spread northwards to Egypt, and by 2000, it had crossed the Red Sea into Saudi Arabia and Yemen, marking its first confirmed appearance outside the African continent.
- Multiple mosquito species can transmit the Rift Valley fever virus, and the predominant vector differs from one region to another.
- In about 90 % of cases, RVF presents as a mild, flu-like illness that begins two to six days after infection.
- The onset is marked by high fever, muscle and joint pain, headache, weakness, and backache, sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light.
- In a small proportion of patients, disease progresses to a severe form affecting the eyes, brain, or liver.
- Currently, there is no specific antiviral treatment. Medical care is primarily supportive.
