Rift Valley Fever is a viral zoonosis, affecting primarily domestic livestock; however, it can be passed to humans, causing fever. It is named after a trough stretching 4, 000 miles from Jordan through eastern Africa to Mozambique. The disease is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes, typically the Aedes or Culex genera to susceptible animals.
The signs of the disease in animals: In pregnant livestock infected with RVF abortion of virtually 100% of the foetuses occurs. The virus affects younger animals more severely. More than 90% of lambs infected with RVF die, whereas mortality among adult sheep can be as low as 10%. Other symptoms in cattle include slow movement and lack of energy, high fever and rapid breathing, vomiting, bloody faeces and a lack of appetite.
