Rift Valley fever
Rift Valley fever
Last update: 2022-06-07
Key facts
Transmission
- Direct or indirect contact with the blood or organs of infected animals, including inhalation
- Mosquito bite
- Eating or drinking the unpasteurized (unheated) or uncooked milk of infected animals
Symptoms
- Starts with fever, headache, joint and muscle pain.
- Sometimes neck stiffness, sensitivity to light, and diarrhoea.
- Can cause changes in eyesight and sometimes permanent loss of eyesight.
- Some patients suffer from loss of memory, hallucinations or delusions, confusion, dizziness, seizures, and tiredness and may become unconscious.
- The most severe form includes a rash, yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), and bleeding from nose and inside mouth.
Prevention
- Animal vaccination
- Restrict or ban the movement of livestock
- Handle and slaughter animals safely (for example, practise hand hygiene, and wear gloves and appropriate personal protective equipment)
- Cook animal products thoroughly (meat, milk, blood)
- Control vectors (larval and adult mosquitoes)
- Protect against mosquito bites (use a bed net, wear long sleeves and trousers, apply repellents, etc.)
- Wash hands with soap
- Employ social mobilization and behaviour change communication
- Keep animals under disease surveillance
Vulnerable people
- Mostly people who are in contact with the blood or organs of infected animals (eg herders, farmers, slaughterhouse workers, and veterinarians)
If an epidemic occurs
- Detect sick people rapidly and refer them to health facilities
- Increase social mobilization and behaviour change communication
- Advise people how to slaughter animals safely
- Advise people how to handle sick animals safely
- Safely disinfect and dispose of animal carcasses and aborted foetuses
- Restrict or ban the movement of livestock
- Make sure people cook animal products thoroughly (meat, milk, blood)
- Promote handwashing with soap
- Control vectors (larval and adult mosquitoes)
- Promote protection from mosquito bites (use a bed net, wear long sleeves and trousers, apply repellents, etc.)
- Keep animals under disease surveillance
- Give psychosocial support
Community-based assessment - questions
Make a map of the community and mark the information you gather on the map. Record other details.
- When did people start to fall sick with Rift Valley fever?
- How many people have fallen sick with Rift Valley fever? Where?
- How many have died? Where?
- How many people live in the affected community or area? How many children under five years of age live in the area?
- Who and where are the vulnerable people?
- Who is most affected by Rift Valley fever?
- Are areas or markets with animals known to be infected by Rift Valley fever? Where are they?
- What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs about handling and slaughtering animals, especially sick or dead animals?
- Do people cook milk and meat thoroughly before eating them?
- Are there handwashing facilities in the community, at animal markets or other areas where livestock gather? Are soap and water always available?
- Have the authorities established a vector control programme?
- What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs about use of repellents, sprays, etc.
- How many houses have insect screens on the windows and doors?
- How many people sleep under a bed net at night? Are the nets hung up and maintained properly? If people do not use them, why not?
- How does the community dispose of rubbish and solid waste?
- Where are the local health facilities and services? (Include traditional and community carers from whom people seek advice.)
- What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs about caring for and feeding sick people?
- Is a social mobilization or health promotion programme in place?
- Which sources of information do people use most?
- Are rumours or is misinformation about Rift Valley fever spreading in the community?
Volunteer actions
01. Community-based surveillance
02. Community mapping
03. Communicating with the community
04. Referral to health facilities
05. Volunteer protection and safety
19. Psychosocial support
34. Handwashing with soap
35. Handwashing in a highly infectious epidemic
36. Vector control
37. Mosquito nets
38. Waste disposal and clean-up campaigns
41. Handling and slaughtering animals
43. Social mobilization and behaviour change