Rift Valley fever

Rift Valley fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease of livestock and humans. It usually causes mild illness but can lead to severe liver damage, vision loss, or hemorrhagic disease.

Rift Valley fever virus: A mosquito-transmitted phlebovirus that causes Rift Valley fever in humans and animals. This virus is the infectious agent behind the disease.
Veterinary epidemiology: The study of disease patterns and causes in animal populations. Monitoring livestock illness can reveal outbreaks before human cases rise.
Rift Valley fever outbreak in Kenya (2006–2007): A major East African outbreak of Rift Valley fever affecting people and livestock in 2006–2007. This outbreak illustrates how heavy rainfall and mosquito abundance can precede widespread disease.
Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, commonly caused by infection, toxins, or immune reactions. Rift Valley fever can damage the liver and produce acute hepatitis.
Rift Valley fever forecasting: The use of environmental and epidemiological data to estimate Rift Valley fever outbreak risk. Forecasts seek to turn rainfall and vegetation signals into timely warnings.
Aedes: A large genus of mosquitoes that includes species capable of transmitting viruses to humans and animals. Some Aedes mosquitoes pass the virus to livestock and can maintain it through infected eggs.
Mosquito control: Methods used to reduce mosquito populations or prevent their contact with hosts. Reducing mosquito exposure interrupts a major route of virus transmission.
Rift Valley fever outbreak in Egypt (1977–1978): An outbreak that caused extensive human and livestock disease in Egypt in 1977–1978. The outbreak demonstrated the consequences of virus introduction into densely populated livestock regions.
Retinitis: Inflammation of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Retinal inflammation after infection can cause lasting visual impairment.
Rift Valley fever virus persistence: The survival and continued circulation of Rift Valley fever virus between outbreaks. How the virus persists during long quiet periods remains central to understanding re-emergence.

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Great Rift ValleyRelated: The region’s livestock systems and climate-linked outbreaks connect the disease to the rift’s human landscapes.