DAKAR, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) — Senegal’s Health Minister Ibrahima Sy said Sunday that a recent outbreak of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in the northern Saint-Louis region has caused seven deaths.
Speaking at an epidemic control meeting in Saint-Louis, Sy said that the health authorities, in coordination with the livestock department, are intensifying preventive and control measures to curb the further spread of the disease. The Saint-Louis region officially reported its first RVF cases on Thursday.
Boli Diop, head of epidemiological surveillance at the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, explained that RVF is a zoonotic disease caused by the RVF virus. While primarily transmitted among animals, it can also infect humans.
Patients typically experience fever, headache, muscle pain, and fatigue. Most cases are mild, but delayed treatment can lead to hemorrhagic complications that may be life-threatening, he added.
Diop noted that human infections are usually associated with contact with blood or organs of infected animals. High-risk activities include slaughtering, butchering, assisting in animal births, and handling deceased livestock. Groups such as herders, farmers, slaughterhouse workers, and veterinarians are more likely to be exposed to the virus.
In recent decades, the disease has repeatedly emerged in West Africa, affecting countries including Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal. Currently, there is no specific antiviral treatment or approved vaccine for humans. ■