The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel notice for Senegal because of a Rift Valley fever (RVF) outbreak reported in the northern part of the country.
As of Friday, 10th October, the Senegal Ministry of Health reported 140 confirmed RVF cases and 18 deaths, primarily in the Saint-Louis region.
According to the World Health Organisation, Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever that causes illness in livestock (such as cattle, sheep, and goats) and people, according to the World Health Organisation, which says no human-to-human transmission has been documented.
It spreads mainly by direct contact with the blood, body fluids, or organs of infected animals or through bites of infected mosquitos.
Most people with RVF have no symptoms or a mild illness with fever, weakness, back pain, and dizziness. Sudden onset of symptoms usually occurs two to six days after exposure to RVF virus. Less than 2% of people infected with RVF will develop severe symptoms, which can include eye disease, haemorrhage (excessive bleeding), and encephalitis (swelling of the brain).
Most people recover within one week, with treatment limited to supportive care. While mortality is higher in severe cases, only about 1% of people who get RVF die.
CDC says you can protect yourself from RVF by preventing mosquito bites, avoiding contact with cattle and livestock, and by handling, eating, and drinking animal products safely.
In addition, health authorities advise watch your health during and after travel for symptoms of RVF. Seek medical care if you develop fever, weakness, back pain, dizziness, blurred and decreased vision, or sores on the eyes.
RVF has been endemic in northern Senegal since the 1980s, Dr Merawi Aragaw Tegegne, an epidemiologist at Africa CDC, told a weekly press briefing on Thursday.
