Inter-epidemic Rift Valley fever virus seroconversions in an irrigation scheme in Bura, south-east Kenya

Serological evidence of Rift Valley fever infection and risk factors among one-humped camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Northern Nigeria

“…These observations agree with the works of [42], where they observed that RVF was more likely to occur in densely bushed areas. Similarly, [43] observed that in arid and semi-arid areas where irrigations are practiced to mitigate the scourge of food insecurity challenges, the establishment of dams and large pools of water maintains high humidity thereby increasing the suitability of RVF endemicity. On the non-significance of high rainfall to the occurrence of RVF, this study was carried out in arid and semi-arid areas of Jigawa and Katsina States with low yearly rainfall, which makes it a conducive for camel production.…”

Association between Rift Valley fever virus seroprevalences in livestock and humans and their respective intra-cluster correlation coefficients, Tana River County, Kenya

“…The observed RVFv seroprevalences in humans (which ranged between 17.86 and 24.85%) were comparable with those reported for livestock (of 23.49–27.42%). A parallel study conducted in the area showed that there was endemic circulation of RVFv especially in the irrigated areas [ 5 ] which probably sustained continued exposure of livestock and humans to the virus. A major outbreak of RVF occurred in the area in 2006–2007, about 6 years prior to this study.…”

“…In East Africa, the RVF epidemics often occur following periods of widespread and above-normal precipitation, especially in savanna grasslands, flat terrains and low lying areas that are susceptible to flooding [ 4 ]. Endemic RVF virus (RVFv) transmissions have also been observed in riverine or irrigated areas [ 5 ] and forested habitats. Its geographical range has slowly expanded from sub-Saharan Africa to the Arabian Peninsula [ 6 ], Madagascar [ 7 ] and Mayotte [ 8 ] and recent risk analyses suggest that there is potential for the disease to spread northwards to Europe [ 9 ].…”

Climate Change and Infectious Livestock Diseases: The Case of Rift Valley Fever and Tick-Borne Diseases

“…Probability estimates given on the map indicate the chance that a given area could experience an RVF outbreak based on the environmental conditions observed in December 2006 and the Senegal Dam on the Senegal-Mauritania border in 1987/1988 (Martin et al 2008). A recent study conducted in Kenya confirmed that irrigated areas in arid and semi-arid areas support endemic transmission of RVF (Mbotha et al 2017) but more work is needed to isolate the virus from such cases to confirm observations made from serological studies. Drought-resistant livestock species, including goats, which are thought to play a critical role in the epidemiology of RVF and other zoonotic diseases, are increasingly being raised in arid and semi-arid areas as one of the adaptation measures for climate change and variability.…”