Senegal reports human Rift Valley fever case in Diourel region
Health authorities in Senegal, in western Africa, report one confirmed case of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in a 54-year-old man from Touba City, Diourel region on April 1.
He presented at the Touba healthcare center with fever, headache, joint pain and retro-orbital pain.
RVF was confirmed by the Institut Pasteur in Dakar. The individual, a teacher, has no recent travel history. He was treated and in stabile condition.
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.
This is the first case of the year. In 2024, two confirmed cases and no deaths were reported.