Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
WEEKLY BULLETIN ON OUTBREAKS
AND OTHER EMERGENCIES
Week 50: 6 – 12 December 2021
Data as reported by: 17:00; 12 December 2021
...
Rift Valley Fever Senegal
3 Cases
0 Death
0.0% CFR
EVENT DESCRIPTION
A Rift Valley fever (RVF) outbreak was declared by the Senegalese
health authorities on 10 November 2021 after confirmation of the first
case from Gossas health district in Fatick medical region. Following
this confirmation, the Gossas health district team conducted an
epidemiological investigation around the confirmed case on 11
November 2021.
On 12 November 2021, the Pasteur Institute of Dakar confirmed a
second case of RVF from Diofior health district in Fatick medical region
and this prompted a deployment of a multidisciplinary response team
to the affected two health districts for an in-depth investigation.
As of 18 November 2021, three cases with no associated deaths
(case fatality ratio (CFR) = 0.0%) have been reported in the affected
districts that have reported at least one case of RVF so far.
The confirmed case from Gossas health district is an 18-yearold
shepherd living with his family near Dekhaye village. He
attended medical consultation at Ndiene Lagane health post on 2
November 2021 with symptoms of fever, headache and generalized
maculopapular rash. A malaria rapid diagnostic test was performed,
and the result was negative. Additonal patient history revealed he had
spent three months with his herd in Linguère area while drinking raw
milk, consumed undercooked meat, and helped sheep to give birth
without any personal protection. Furthermore, the patient reported
to have slept next to his flock during these three months without a
mosquito net or mosquito repellants.
This prompted health care providers to take a second blood sample,
which was sent to the Pasteur Institute of Dakar the same day (2
November 2021) and RVF was confirmed on 10 November 2021 by
the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay test.
The second confirmed case is from Diofior health district, a 14-yearold student,
4living in Ndiol Khokhane village, with no travel history for
the past 15 days prior to the onset of illness on 4 November 2021. He
presented with a history of sudden physical fatigue, generalized body
pain and chills, and was on the next day (5 November 2021) taken to
Djilass health post for medical consultation where he tested negative
for malaria. The patient was transferred to the Diofior Health Center
where jaundice was detected, and samples collected for further
investigation. Laboratory investigations at the Pasteur Institute in
Dakar confirmed him positive for Rift Valley fever on 12 November
2021.
PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONS
A multidisciplinary investigation team has been deployed to the
affected health districts to assess the risk of spread and provide
recommendations for the outbreak control.
Blood samples continue to be taken from suspected cases and
sent to the Pasteur Institute in Dakar for analysis
Briefing on surveillance for arboviruses including Rift Valley
fever was conducted for the regional health personnel and
district management teams in the affected region
Sensitization activities for community leaders and animal
breeders on Rift Valley fever are ongoing.
SITUATION INTERPRETATION
Senegal is one of the West African countries that have often
experienced Rift Valley fever outbreaks. The disease exposure factors
frequently identified include the breeder profession, the presence
of suspicious animals in the vicinity of the reported cases, the poor
use of mosquito nets, contact or manipulation of tissues of suspect
animals and the transhumance lifestyle.
PROPOSED ACTION
Epidemiological surveillance should be strengthened by adopting
the One Health approach in order to rapidly detect cases in
animals and thus prevent the occurrence of human cases.
Healthcare providers should be briefed regularly on the case
definition of Rift Valley fever and the reporting of suspected
cases
It is paramount to strengthen the awareness of communities
about the disease and the means of prevention.
...
https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/350534/OEW50-0612122021.pdf
AND OTHER EMERGENCIES
Week 50: 6 – 12 December 2021
Data as reported by: 17:00; 12 December 2021
...
Rift Valley Fever Senegal
3 Cases
0 Death
0.0% CFR
EVENT DESCRIPTION
A Rift Valley fever (RVF) outbreak was declared by the Senegalese
health authorities on 10 November 2021 after confirmation of the first
case from Gossas health district in Fatick medical region. Following
this confirmation, the Gossas health district team conducted an
epidemiological investigation around the confirmed case on 11
November 2021.
On 12 November 2021, the Pasteur Institute of Dakar confirmed a
second case of RVF from Diofior health district in Fatick medical region
and this prompted a deployment of a multidisciplinary response team
to the affected two health districts for an in-depth investigation.
As of 18 November 2021, three cases with no associated deaths
(case fatality ratio (CFR) = 0.0%) have been reported in the affected
districts that have reported at least one case of RVF so far.
The confirmed case from Gossas health district is an 18-yearold
shepherd living with his family near Dekhaye village. He
attended medical consultation at Ndiene Lagane health post on 2
November 2021 with symptoms of fever, headache and generalized
maculopapular rash. A malaria rapid diagnostic test was performed,
and the result was negative. Additonal patient history revealed he had
spent three months with his herd in Linguère area while drinking raw
milk, consumed undercooked meat, and helped sheep to give birth
without any personal protection. Furthermore, the patient reported
to have slept next to his flock during these three months without a
mosquito net or mosquito repellants.
This prompted health care providers to take a second blood sample,
which was sent to the Pasteur Institute of Dakar the same day (2
November 2021) and RVF was confirmed on 10 November 2021 by
the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay test.
The second confirmed case is from Diofior health district, a 14-yearold student,
4living in Ndiol Khokhane village, with no travel history for
the past 15 days prior to the onset of illness on 4 November 2021. He
presented with a history of sudden physical fatigue, generalized body
pain and chills, and was on the next day (5 November 2021) taken to
Djilass health post for medical consultation where he tested negative
for malaria. The patient was transferred to the Diofior Health Center
where jaundice was detected, and samples collected for further
investigation. Laboratory investigations at the Pasteur Institute in
Dakar confirmed him positive for Rift Valley fever on 12 November
2021.
PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONS
A multidisciplinary investigation team has been deployed to the
affected health districts to assess the risk of spread and provide
recommendations for the outbreak control.
Blood samples continue to be taken from suspected cases and
sent to the Pasteur Institute in Dakar for analysis
Briefing on surveillance for arboviruses including Rift Valley
fever was conducted for the regional health personnel and
district management teams in the affected region
Sensitization activities for community leaders and animal
breeders on Rift Valley fever are ongoing.
SITUATION INTERPRETATION
Senegal is one of the West African countries that have often
experienced Rift Valley fever outbreaks. The disease exposure factors
frequently identified include the breeder profession, the presence
of suspicious animals in the vicinity of the reported cases, the poor
use of mosquito nets, contact or manipulation of tissues of suspect
animals and the transhumance lifestyle.
PROPOSED ACTION
Epidemiological surveillance should be strengthened by adopting
the One Health approach in order to rapidly detect cases in
animals and thus prevent the occurrence of human cases.
Healthcare providers should be briefed regularly on the case
definition of Rift Valley fever and the reporting of suspected
cases
It is paramount to strengthen the awareness of communities
about the disease and the means of prevention.
...
https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/350534/OEW50-0612122021.pdf