Rift Valley Fever Outbreak Kills 2 in Kiboga, Mityana Districts

There is a confirmed outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in the two districts of Kiboga and Mityana, according to the Ministry of Health and that of Agriculture. The confirmation follows laboratory tests by the Uganda Virus Research Institute from two samples collected from both districts.

A statement released by Charles Olaro, the Acting Director General of Health Services on Friday placed the persons with confirmed symptoms of the virus in Gogonya village in Kiboga district and in Gombe-Mwalo village in Mityana district.

The case in Kiboga was a 26-year-old male who is said to have been a forest ranger.

According to the statement, the carrier suffered from a strange fever starting November 14 for 3 days and later developed bleeding tendencies from the mouth and the nose by the time he sought care from St. Petres Clinic in Kiboga town council.

He died two days later and upon being tested, his blood was found to be positive for Rift Valley Fever.

The other, a 69-year-old male was a fisherman residing in Mityana municipality along the shores of Lake Wamala. He developed a high grade fever on November 18 and was admitted to Nama Health Centre 3 with bleeding from the gums and nose, bloody vomitus and coughing blood.

He too died a day after being admitted in hospital. His samples also tested positive.

In the meantime, the two Ministries have embarked on various measures including treatment of suspected patients, increased surveillance and sensitization programs in order to control the spread of the current outbreak.

The public has been urged to; seek permission from veterinary officers before slaughtering animals for consumption, avoid consuming meat from animals that die of unknown causes, wash hands with soap and avoid getting in contact with infected persons.

Rift Valley Fever is a viral zoonotic disease that primarily affects animals but also has the capacity to infect humans. The majority of human infections result from direct or indirect contact with the blood or organs of infected animals.

The virus can be transmitted to humans through the handling of animal tissue during slaughtering or butchering, assisting with animal births, conducting veterinary procedures or from the disposal of carcasses or fetuses.