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Source: http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=64071
Govt issues RVF outbreak alert
Written By:Judith Akolo , Posted: Thu, May 20, 2010
The government is on high alert over a possible outbreak of Rift Valley fever - RVF epidemic in North Eastern, upper Eastern and Rift Valley provinces.
Livestock Minister Dr Mohamed Kuti says the second round of the vaccination campaign is due to begin in the affected regions to prevent an outbreak of the disease.
Kuti said on Thursday that his ministry is awaiting response from Treasury for additional funding to enable it embark on round two of the vaccination exercise.
The Minister said already animals in the pastoralist regions are infected but no deaths have been reported as they had been vaccinated.
"There is high activity of the disease in the animals in pastoralist areas, but we are on high alert and intend to embark on the second round of the vaccination exercise so that we do not reach epidemic levels ," said Kuti who addressed a meeting at Kilimo house.
The Minister said already the government undertook a vaccination exercise for one million heads of cattle to curb any outbreak this rainy season.
Last year the government invested some 500 million shillings to undertake the off-take exercise during the drought.
Rift Valley Fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever which primarily affects animals but can also infect humans.
The disease also results in significant economic losses due to death and abortion among animals infected.
A probable case occurs when a person or animal has acute fever with unexplained bleeding in stool, vomit, sputum, gums, nose, skin and eyes. The vision deteriorates, or altered then loses consciousness.
The virus was first identified in 1931 during an investigation into an epidemic among sheep on a farm in the Rift Valley of Kenya.
A major outbreak occurred in the country In 1997-98, during the el-nino rains.
In December 2006, several deaths were reported in Garissa District. Other hemorrhagic fevers that occur in sub-Saharan Africa are yellow fever, Ebola, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and dengue viruses.
Govt issues RVF outbreak alert
Written By:Judith Akolo , Posted: Thu, May 20, 2010
The government is on high alert over a possible outbreak of Rift Valley fever - RVF epidemic in North Eastern, upper Eastern and Rift Valley provinces.
Livestock Minister Dr Mohamed Kuti says the second round of the vaccination campaign is due to begin in the affected regions to prevent an outbreak of the disease.
Kuti said on Thursday that his ministry is awaiting response from Treasury for additional funding to enable it embark on round two of the vaccination exercise.
The Minister said already animals in the pastoralist regions are infected but no deaths have been reported as they had been vaccinated.
"There is high activity of the disease in the animals in pastoralist areas, but we are on high alert and intend to embark on the second round of the vaccination exercise so that we do not reach epidemic levels ," said Kuti who addressed a meeting at Kilimo house.
The Minister said already the government undertook a vaccination exercise for one million heads of cattle to curb any outbreak this rainy season.
Last year the government invested some 500 million shillings to undertake the off-take exercise during the drought.
Rift Valley Fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever which primarily affects animals but can also infect humans.
The disease also results in significant economic losses due to death and abortion among animals infected.
A probable case occurs when a person or animal has acute fever with unexplained bleeding in stool, vomit, sputum, gums, nose, skin and eyes. The vision deteriorates, or altered then loses consciousness.
The virus was first identified in 1931 during an investigation into an epidemic among sheep on a farm in the Rift Valley of Kenya.
A major outbreak occurred in the country In 1997-98, during the el-nino rains.
In December 2006, several deaths were reported in Garissa District. Other hemorrhagic fevers that occur in sub-Saharan Africa are yellow fever, Ebola, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and dengue viruses.