By Leah Gitau
The Rift valley fever disease is an acute, fever causing viral disease, most commonly observed in domesticated animals I.e. cattle, goats, sheep, camels and donkeys.
An outbreak of this viral disease was experienced in June 2018 in Kenya, and this was as a result of people consuming meat from an infected animal, in Wajir county, the North Eastern part of Kenya. Since the outbreak, a number of livestock deaths have been reported in the area.
There have been heavy down pours across the country and this greatly contributed to the outbreak, because of the flash floods which was the aftermath. When animals drink water from the floods and are not vaccinated, they contact the water borne diseases leading to a disaster.
Action by the government
A ban on slaughtering animals and restriction of movement of livestock has been imposed in affected areas.
Establishment of emergency health centers in these counties
Routine animal vaccination
