Business Daily (Nairobi)
Allan Odhiambo
6 May 2008
When it struck barely a year ago, the dreaded Rift Valley Fever left a Sh2 billion void in the country's livestock industry. And now experts are warning that the disease may hit Kenya again and other neighbouring countries.
The new warning by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) follows an acute outbreak of the viral disease on the Island of Madagascar, off the coastline of East Africa.
The latest outbreak of RVF in Madagascar was first reported by Agriculture Ministry on April 9, after successful tests on two of nine animals that were taken ill with symptoms associated with the disease around Avaradrano, Antananarivo two months earlier.
"The situation of RVF in Madagascar is very serious because the two-month delay in disease reporting may have facilitated the spread of the disease and the consequent confirmation of several human cases and deaths. This could indicate that the infection is well established in animals in this new epidemic," the experts warned in the latest issue of the emergency prevention system (EMPRES) report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Analysts said the alarm by NASA and OIE would come handy for Kenya after a serious blunder in 2006 when Government officials ignored a warning only for the country to be hit hard by an outbreak of the disease that left more than 155 people killed and more than 700 infected. North Eastern province bore the brunt of the attack with 333 cases of infections reported, closely followed by Rift Valley province with 141 cases while Coast and Central provinces recorded 14 and 13 incidents respectively.
Huge damage was also afflicted on the livestock industry where about 4,000 animals were lost prompting the State to slap a ban on livestock movements. Most consumers stopped eating livestock products, pushing thousands of dealers and suppliers out of business.
According to EMPRES, the Health Ministry in Madagascar had already reported 17 human deaths and 418 suspected infections as at mid April in areas around Alaotra, Mangoro, Analamanga, Itasy, Vakinakaratra and Anosy.
The WHO has so far confirmed 59 cases of RVF through laboratory tests.
Experts are now warning that the situation in Madagascar poses a direct threat to neighbouring nations such as Kenya especially because surrounding regions in Central Africa are anticipated to witness an increase in precipitation above normal rains in the next few months - a condition that suits the spread of the disease.
"Considering that RVF outbreaks were reported in Kenya, Tanzania and Sudan in 2007, and South Africa is currently experiencing an outbreak of RVF, disease surveillance should be heightened and preparedness plans put in place throughout the Eastern part of the African continent. RVF surveillance efforts should be pursued in non affected areas since the disease can still spread," the report said.
A veterinary expert, Joseph Musaa, said unpredictable weather patterns in the country offered a room for the re-emergence of the disease and urged surveillance in main risk areas.
"It is not that we were only hit the other day so we are safe, the dangers of another attack are alive because the effects of climate change are alive and playing out," he told Business Daily.
Analysts said RVF is an arthropod-borne viral disease of ruminants, camels and humans and may present itself in an uncomplicated influenza-like illness to a hemorrhagic disease attacking the liver and showing in ocular or neurological lesions.
In animals, the disease may be unclear in non-pregnant adults, but outbreaks are characterised by a large number of abortions and high neonatal mortality.
Human infections have also resulted from the bites of infected mosquitoes, most commonly the Aedes mosquito whose infected eggs can survive through desiccation for months or years and restart transmission after flooding.
Recommended preventive measures include, awareness campaigns, increased disease surveillance and controlled animal movement to prevent spread. Animal vaccination is also another strategy besides use of mosquito repellents and mosquito nets.
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