Rift Valley Fever crosses into Somalia and Tanzania as Kenyans get tough

Feb 7 2007

The major outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in Kenya has now claimed 139 lives and authorities say the highly-contagious disease has spread into neighbouring Tanzania.

The mosquito bourne disease first hit remote areas of Kenya in mid-December.

Without any vaccine or treatment, the disease can cause severe haemorrhaging, leading the victim to vomit blood and even bleed to death.

RVF is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites or by close contact with contaminated animals and in severe cases weight loss and blindness are often symptoms.

Experts say the virus engorges itself inside the eggs of mosquitoes before they are laid and once laid, do not hatch until conditions are favourable; they can remain viable for as long as 10 years.

Once the mosquito bites an animal, specifically livestock such as goats or sheep, it infects it with the virus and the cycle begins.

Kenyan health officials say some cases have been found across Kenya's northern border in Somalia and health officials in Tanzania, to the south of Kenya, have also confirmed they had registered the first two cases of RVF in almost a decade.

The disease has badly affected Kenya thriving meat business.

Officials say there has been a rise in the death toll by 21 deaths in the last two weeks but infections in Kenya peaked when heavy rains over the last month or so produced flood waters, providing ideal breeding grounds for different species of mosquito.

Health Minister Charity Ngilu says infection comes from touching the blood or bloody fluids of infected animals, from slaughtering or skinning these animals, from drinking their unboiled milk or from the bite of an infected mosquito.

Ngilu has urged Kenyans to eat their beef well cooked, avoid touching sick or dying animals and sleep under treated mosquito nets.

A similar outbreak of Rift Valley Fever killed hundreds of Kenyans in 1997-1998.

The veterinary department says it has introduced tough measures aimed at containing the spread of the virus and a livestock quarantine has been imposed in all areas hit by the disease.

The public are being advised to ensure that they eat meat that is inspected and stamped by veterinary officials bought from authorised butcheries and to avoid slaughtering goats or cows at home or drinking raw milk.

The outbreak is now in its third month and more than 400,000 animals out of a targeted two million, have been vaccinated in the affected areas.