Kenya Warned of Potential Disease Outbreak

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have issued a warning to Eastern Africa countries of potential Rift Valley Fever (RVF) outbreak.

According to a publication by Food and Agriculture Organization and Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Eastern Africa countries including Kenya, Tanzania, and South Sudan are at a high risk due to the persistence of suitable conditions for vector amplify and the potential movement of infected animals.

Heavy rains and prolonged flooding were mentioned to be reason for the increase habitat suitability for vector population, thus influencing the risk of RVF emergence, transmission and spread.

“The latest forecast indicates that countries in East Africa are at a high risk of RVF due to the persistence of environmental conditions that are highly suitable for vector amplification and the potential movement of potentially infected animals in the region” the publication read.

Preparedness for Potential Rift Valley Fever

What’s more, FAO and IGAD emphasized the urgent need to ensure adequate preparedness for potential outbreak of RVF, through the One Health approach.

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“The national veterinary authority should work closely with their public health and environment counterparts to coordinate joint preparedness activities, through a One Health approach to mitigate the perceived threat,” FAO and IGAD further recommended.

“The FAO RVF Early Warning panel of experts verifies the risk areas with the experts on the ground and assesses if conditions warrant an RVF alert (FAO 2019, 2021),” the publication read.

Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is an acute, vector-borne, viral and zoonotic disease that has severe impacts on livelihoods, national and international markets, and human health.

Also, the disease has been observed in sheep, goats, cattle, buffaloes, camels and humans and is spread primarily by mosquitoes and the movement of animals.

WHO Reports on RVF Outbreak

According to World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health in Mauritania declared an outbreak of RVF on 4 October 2012. From 16 September 2012 (the date of onset of the index case) to 13 November 2012, a total of 36 cases, including 18 deaths were reported from 6 regions.

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As of 11 October 2016, Ministry of Health in Niger also reported 105 suspected cases including 28 deaths of RVF in humans in Tahoua region.

Moreover, FAO and IGAD recommended that “the national veterinary authority should increase awareness about the disease, assess the current situation on and the specific risk to the country regarding RVF, and identify the actions to support the country to increase its preparedness for potential RVF outbreaks.”

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