Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a viral disease that affects mainly animals and occasionally humans. The disease is frequently reported following heavy rainfall and floods.
RVF is mainly transmitted from animals (sheep, cattle, goats, camels) to humans through close contact with infected animals (such as handling meat and body fluids and consumption of raw milk). During established RVF outbreaks in animals, humans can also get infected through bites of infected mosquitoes and other biting insects.
The incubation period of RVF varies from 2 to 6 days. The clinical symptoms include an flu-like illness, with sudden onset of fever, headache, myalgia and backache.
These symptoms usually last from 4 to 7 days and most people recover on their own. However a small proportion (about 1%) get complications such as vomiting blood, nose bleeding and passing bloody stool.
Early detection and management of the disease is important. Human control of RVF is through control of the disease in animals through a sustained vaccination program and limiting human-animal contact. Use of insecticide treated nets and mosquito repellants can also reduce infections in human. In addition to human suffering and death, RVF has far reaching economic implications to the livestock industry.