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Kalehe Territory
/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalehe_Territory
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South Kivu: Kalehe affected by Rift Valley fever epidemic, alert on consumption of cow meat
Sunday, July 13, 2025 - 4:23 PM
An outbreak of Rift Valley fever, a disease that attacks cows, has been officially declared in Kalehe, South Kivu Territory, by local authorities. In a statement signed by the administrator of this territory under the AFC, he declared the epidemic and issued restrictions.
"The administrator of the Kalehe territory informs all breeders, butchers, and cow traders that the Rift Valley fever epidemic has been declared in the region. Therefore, it is strictly forbidden to move cows or hold the market, and the entry of cows from other territories is suspended until further notice," said a statement from the local authority.
In Kalehe, a general vaccination campaign will be organized to prevent the spread of the epidemic. Rift Valley fever reached Kalehe after an attack on cattle by a disease unknown in the region.
In April, another disease was reported in Mwenga territory, South Kivu, and caused the death of nearly 70 cows between Kilungutwe and Kibumba. Urgent measures are being called for to end this disease in Kalehe territory, between the cities of Bukavu and Goma.
https://actualite.cd/index.php/2025...-de-fievre-de-la-vallee-du-rift-alerte-sur-la
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Rift Valley Fever Outbreak in Kalehe: What are the Risks for Human Populations?
By Prince Yassa July 13, 2025
The Rift Valley fever epidemic, officially declared in Kalehe territory by its administrator, is not just a veterinary crisis.
This viral disease, primarily transmitted by mosquitoes or through contact with infected animals, also poses a serious threat to human health. Populations in direct contact with cattle breeders, butchers, and livestock transporters are at greatest risk, not to mention consumers of untested meat.
According to local medical sources, no human cases have been formally diagnosed to date, but vigilance is at its highest. Clinical signs in humans include sudden fever, muscle pain, nausea, and in some cases, serious liver or eye complications. However, in rural areas like Kalehe, access to health facilities is limited and differential diagnosis is difficult, especially since the symptoms can be confused with those of malaria.
The region's medical staff have been briefly alerted, and some health units have been instructed to report any suspected cases. However, diagnostic kits are in critical supply, and no community epidemiological surveillance plan has yet been implemented. Regional health authorities are concerned about the potential for a silent spread.
In this context, informing and raising public awareness is crucial. But communication channels are limited, and some residents are even unaware of the disease's existence. Without a strengthened health response, Kalehe could find itself facing a two-faced crisis: animal and human.
It is therefore urgent that the national Ministry of Health and its partners fully grasp the threat. The Rift Valley fever epidemic in Kalehe could serve as an electroshock to strengthen zoonotic disease surveillance in the DRC, at the risk of seeing other territories fall into the spiral of a preventable crisis.
https://congocroissance.com/lepidem...-quels-risques-pour-les-populations-humaines/