2006/07 Outbreak in Kenya and Somalia
In November 2006, a Rift Valley fever outbreak occurred in Kenya. The victims are from the North Eastern Province and Coast Province of Kenya, which had received heavy rain in recent months, causing floods and creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which spread the virus of the fever from infected livestock to humans.
By 7 January 2007, about 75 people had died and another 183 were infected. The outbreak has forced the closure of livestock markets in the North Eastern Province, affecting the economy of the region.
The outbreak was subsequently reported to have moved into Maragua and Kirinyaga districts of Central Province of Kenya.
On 20 January 2007, the outbreak was reported to have crossed into Somalia from Kenya and killed 14 people in the Lower Jubba region.
As of 23 January 2007, cases had started to crop up at the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. An estimated large number of businesses were supposedly suffering large losses as customers were shunning the common meat joints for the popular nyama choma (roast meat), as it was believed to be spreading the fever.
In December 2006 and again in January 2007, Taiwan International Health Action (TaiwanIHA) began operating missions in Kenya consisting of medical experts assisting in training laboratory and health facility personnel, and included donations of supplies, such as mosquito sprays. The United States Centers for Disease Control has also set up an assistance mission and laboratory in Kenya.
By the end of January, 2007, some 148 people had died since the outbreak began in December.
As at 14 March 2007, the Kenyan government declared RVF as having diminished drastically after spending an estimated 2.5 million in vaccine and deployment costs. It also lifted the ban on cattle movement in the affected areas.
As of 2 November 2007, 125 cases, including 60 deaths, had been reported from more than 10 localities of White Nile, Sinnar, and Gezira states in Sudan. Young adult males are predominantly affected. More than 25 human samples have been found positive for RVF by PCR or ELISA.
Read more about this topic: Rift Valley Fever