Abstract
Four large outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) occurred in Mauritania in 1998, 2003, 2010 and 2012 which caused lots of animal and several human deaths. We investigated rainfall and vegetation conditions that might have impacted on RVF transmission over the affected regions. Our results corroborate that RVF transmission generally occurs during the months of September and October in Mauritania, similarly to Senegal. The four outbreaks were preceded by a rainless period lasting at least a week followed by heavy precipitation that took place during the second half of the rainy season. First human infections were generally reported three to five weeks later. By bridging the gap between meteorological forecasting centers and veterinary services, an early warning system might be developed in Senegal and Mauritania to warn decision makers and health services about the upcoming RVF risk.
Highlights
Rift valley fever (RVF) is a viral zoonosis that affects domestic animals and humans by causing an acute fever
In order to investigate the relationship between the location and timing of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) outbreaks with environmental parameters over Mauritania, we focused on rainfall and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) anomalies as RVF outbreaks have generally been associated with heavy rainfall and increased NDVI conditions in eastern Africa which are related to warm phases of the El Niño Southern Oscillation [20]
The animal host density is relatively small in northern Mauritania with respect to the large reservoir located near the southern boundary of the country where the largest outbreaks took place
Summary
Rift valley fever (RVF) is a viral zoonosis that affects domestic animals and humans by causing an acute fever. This disease is caused by the RVF virus that belongs to the genus Phlebovirus in the family Bunyaviridae. RVF mainly affects domestic animals (cattle, goats, sheep and camels, among others) and generally causes abortions in pregnant females and high mortality in young animals. Human acquire RVF through bites from infected mosquitoes or through exposures to infected animal material. In a small percentage of the infected human population the RVF virus can cause haemorrhagic fever, encephalitis and ocular disease and this can sometimes lead to death [2]
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