Sudan outbreak of Rift Valley Fever abates – WHO

January 23, 2008 (GENEVA) — Sudan’s outbreak of deadly Rift Valley Fever has abated, with only one state reporting new human infections in 2008, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

The virus has killed a total of 222 people of the nearly 700 that have been stricken in the past months, according to a WHO statement released late on Tuesday.

Most have been herders and farmers who catch the disease from handling the tissue of infected animals during slaughtering or butchering, while helping with animal births, and in veterinary procedures.

Humans can also become infected with Rift Valley Fever from mosquito bites or after consuming unpasteurised or uncooked milk or meat from animals carrying the virus. In its most severe form, it can cause blindness, coma, or haemorrhage.

The WHO said Sudan’s incidence of the disease has “decreased continuously” in recent weeks and only the Gazeera state has had new cases so far this year.

It said it would continue to assist health authorities in Sudan prepare for seasonal outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever through enhanced surveillance and training.

(Reuters)