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lEts tAlk aBouT RifT vALLey FeveR
Currently there has been a rift valley break out in our country killing tens of people leaving out hundreds of cattles that are burried everyday... currently writting more than 20 are reported dead,many of them from dodoma,...more than 200 are on bed...and the epidemic is still spreading ........with a report of a burried infected cow few days ago on the suburbs of mzumbe.......but what is rift valley fever?...from my few findings and a wider understanding this is what I could write......
What is Rift Valley fever?
Rift valley fever is a fever-causing disease that affects livestock (including cattle, buffalo, sheep, and goats) and humans in Africa. It is named after a the great valley stretching 4,000 miles from Jordan through eastern Africa to Mozambique. Rift Valley fever is spread mainly by infected mosquitoes and appears most often during years of heavy rainfall.The disease is caused by the Rift Valley fever virus.
How do people get Rift Valley fever?
- People can get Rift Valley fever from the bite of mosquitoes and possibly other blood- sucking insects. The virus usually lies dormant in the eggs of Aedes mosquitoes. During heavy rains and floods, the eggs hatch large numbers of infected mosquitoes that feed on livestock and spread the virus. Other species of mosquitoes, and possibly other biting insects, can also become infected and spread the disease.
- People can get Rift Valley fever if they are exposed to the blood or other body fluids of infected animals. This can happen during the slaughtering or handling of infected animals or during the preparation of food.
- Laboratory workers have become infected through airborne transmission during work with virus cultures or laboratory samples containing the virus.
- Lastly is by eating meat that is not well cooked...research shows that the meat that has been cooked in less than 50 degrees centigrade...
What are the signs and symptoms of Rift Valley fever?
People with Rift Valley virus infections typically have a
-flu-like illness with fever, weakness, back pain, dizziness, and weight loss.
Infected people usually get better in 2 days to 1 week after the start of the illness. Sometimes, however, the infection can cause hemorrhage (severe bleeding), encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), or severe eye complications.
Who is at risk for Rift Valley fever? -People who sleep outdoors at night in areas where outbreaks occur -Animal herdsmen, slaughterhouse workers, veterinarians, and others who handle tissues of infected animals in areas where the virus is present -Eating meat thats no well cooked How can Rift Valley fever be prevented? No licensed vaccine or virus-killing medicine is available for human use. but currently there has been great development on the vaccine in animals....the ministry of health has distributed million tons of vaccine countrywide where the disease has been reportded...... but mostly...it is advised to prevent the disease by tackling the ways it is spread as i have mentioned above........ thanks .........more to come in the next update