Rift Valley Fever
...breaks in sub-Saharan and North Africa. In 1997-98, there was a major outbreak in Kenya and Somalia. In September 2000, RVF was for the first time reported outside of the African Continent. Cases were confirmed in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. This virgin-soil epidemic in the Arabian Peninsula raises the threat of expansion into other parts of Asia and Europe. An epizootic, epidemic animal disease, of RVF generally occurs during years in which heavy rainfall and localized flooding have occurred. The extreme rainfall allows mosquito eggs, usually of the genus Aedes, to hatch. The mosquito eggs are naturally infected with the RVF virus, and the resulting mosquitoes transport the virus to the livestock on which they feed. After the livestock becomes infected, other species of mosquitoes, or other blood-sucking insects, can become infected from the animals and can spread the disease. During epizootics, people may become infected with RVF either by being bitten by infected mosquitoes, or through contact with the blood, other body fluids or organs of an infected animal. This contact can occur during the care or the slaughtering process of infected animals, or possibly even by ingesting the raw milk. The actual virus can infect humans through inoculation, or through inhalation as an aerosol. The aerosol mode of transmission has also led to the infection of laboratory workers. People with Rift Valley virus infections typically have a flu-like illness with fever, weakness, back pain, dizziness, and even weight loss. Infected people usually get better anywhere between two days to one week after the start of the illness. Sometimes, however, the infection can cause hemorrhage, inflammations of the brain, or severe eye complications. People who sleep outdoors at night in areas where outbreaks occur, animal herdsmen, slaughterhouse workers, vet...