Uganda: Rift Valley Fever in Kiboga and Mityana districts (center)

Event

Health officials confirmed an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in the Kiboga and Mityana districts on Friday, November 24. At least two cases of the disease have been confirmed, via samples taken from two patients who died of the illness on November 16 and 23. The government has dispatched a team to the area to assess the outbreak.

Context

Rift Valley Fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever that is generally contracted via contact with the carcasses of infected animals, but can also be transmitted through ticks and biting midges. Symptoms generally include hemorrhagic fever, headaches, and muscle pains, while more severe symptoms include loss of sight and brain inflammation, which can cause seizures and headaches. Fatalities occur in less than 1 percent of infected individuals.

Advice

Individuals present in affected areas are advised to be extremely vigilant and to take measures to protect themselves from insect bites, e.g. by wearing covering clothing, using insect repellent, and sleeping under mosquito-netting or in an air-conditioned room. Those present in affected areas should also avoid all contact with farm animals. Individuals exhibiting any of the above symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.