NewsDesk @bactiman63
The Ministère de la Santé Mauritanienne provided an update on the Rift Valley fever (RVF) human infection situation in the country on October 7.
According to health officials, seven additional human RVF cases were reported since the previous update on October 2, bringing the total for 2022 to 39.
In addition, five additional RVF fatalities have been reported- the cumulative total now stands at 22.
The most cases were reported in the town of Neha, in southeastern Mauritania (9). Tintane and Atar follow with six cases each.
Rift Valley Fever is mosquito-borne virus that is endemic in parts of Africa. It primarily infects animals like sheep, cattle and goats and it can have an economic impact on a community due to the loss of livestock.
Humans get infected through contact with infected animal blood or organs. Butchering and slaughtering of animals is a primary cause of transmission to humans. Certain occupations are at a higher risk of getting Rift Valley Fever like farmers, herders and veterinarians.
It can also be transmitted to humans through mosquito bites and the bites of blood-sucking flies.
Most cases of Rift Valley Fever are mild and symptoms include fever, headaches and muscle pain. However, a small percentage of people can get serious disease which includes retinitis, encephalitis and a hemorrhagic fever. Fatalities happen in less than 1 percent of those infected.
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