Rift Valley Fever case reported in Senegal
The Senegal Ministry of Health reported one confirmed case of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in Kidira district, Tambacounda region.
The case is a 30-year-old woman who presented at Kidira health facility with symptoms of fever, headache, general body weakness, joint pain and retro-orbital pain.
Rift Valley fever was confirmed by the Institut Pasteur in Dakar. The patient has been treated and is in stabile condition.
No animal cases were reported in the vicinity as the case.
The last RVF case was reported in Senegal in June 2023 among wild animals in Guembeul natural reserve, Gandiol region.
Rift Valley Fever is mosquito-borne virus that is endemic in parts of Africa. It primarily infects animals like sheep, cattle and goats and it can have an economic impact on a community due to the loss of livestock.
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Humans get infected through contact with infected animal blood or organs. Butchering and slaughtering of animals is a primary cause of transmission to humans. Certain occupations are at a higher risk of getting Rift Valley Fever like farmers, herders and veterinarians.
It can also be transmitted to humans through mosquito bites and the bites of blood-sucking flies.
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Most cases of Rift Valley Fever are mild and symptoms include fever, headaches and muscle pain. However, a small percentage of people can get serious disease which includes retinitis, encephalitis and a hemorrhagic fever. Fatalities happen in less than 1 percent of those infected.