Since more and more cases of RVF are reported in new districts, I would like to provide you with something like a sum-up of what I have learned from all the news. I guess, no one will read all the news we have by now just to find out if the Rift Valley Fever is a threat for travellers.

Cases of the Rift Valley Fever have been reported nearly all over the coast, north-east of the Mombasa-Nairobi road, around Nairobi and further north in the Nakuru district etc.

Most victims are however either farmers who were infected by their own cattle or people who ate meat from dead or ill animals; usually not even cooked propperly but simply roasted a little.

As a traveller you are quite unlikely to have contact with slaughtered animals anyway, so the only remaining chances of infecting yourself is via moskito bites or eating grilled meat.

Most of us will try to avoid moskito bites anyhow, but RVF is definitely another reason for using a moskitonet, wearing long trousers at night and use of repellents.

Consuming meat

Nyama Choma, barbequed meat, is a fantastic traditional food and a pitty if you missed it. Unfortunately, if you want to be 100% sure, you will need to avoid Nyama Choma, but I guess, if you use common sense and take a good look at the place you are buying it from, you can tell what kind of meat is being used. Famous Nyama Choma places are known for their high quality meat. I doubt, they will use meat from animals that were ill or dead before slaughter. They don't want to loose their reputation.

The same applies to hotels and lodges. They have too much to loose, to risk selling such meat.

As long as you keep those things in mind, I believe you are at an extremely low risk to getting the Rift Valley Fever.

To sum it up - just use common sence and have good clean cooked food as you would have anywhere in the world.

Carsten:

Thanks for posting the above on Rift Valley Fever.

Having just returned from Kenya I wanted to report that when I left Boston January 20th the death toll was only 70; in this Tuesday's Nairobi paper the death toll is now being reported as 150 (and this is a low count - only those who died in hospitals are counted - villagers report that many more died in their homes so they haven't been included in the count). It is getting scarey, and the disease has now spread into Tanzania.

You are correct in that the great majority of deaths have been of cattle herders or those who in some way touched the body or meat of an ill or dead animal or came in contact with the body fluids of someone who had the disease. I hadn't heard of anyone who had been infected by mosquito bites, but it is indeed possible. Thus if anyone is going to Kenya or Tanzania please be sure to take adequate mosquito protection with you just to be sure.

It was very interesting seeing people's reactions in Kenya. In Amboseli they couldn't get
anyone to try any beef dishes in the lodges (lots of Americans this time). Yet in Tsavo many people (mostly Europeans) were eating all kinds of prepared beef dishes. I must admit to loving roast beef. However, I only tried it a couple of times in a stew or strogonoff where it was well cooked. The rest of the time I decided on pork, turkey, chicken, bacon and lots of fish. Milk is also a potential problem and the government is advising its people not to drink fresh milk staight but to boil it first.

The government is trying to reassure everyone that the beef (and goat and lamb) are now OK as it is supposedly being inspected (but they were warning people not to eat nyama choma, which might not be well cooked). However, after saying that, the papers reported the deaths of several professional butchers which makes one think that the government is trying to help the beef industry from losing even more money.

The government thought by starting to inject cattle in the Garissa area that they would create a barrier and prevent the disease from spreading. However, it was too little, too late. It took them over two weeks just to coordinate everything. Though they did tell people not to move their cattle, they didn't send people into the area to be sure that it wasn't done. Thus some people put their cattle in lorries and moved them anyway. Several people died in the Taita-Taveta region and at least three in Oloitokitok. This week it was discovered in Thika and Maragua (near Nairobi).

The Centers for Disease Control now has operatives in Kenya trying to help eradicate the disease. However, one article from the paper said that the mosquito larvae could live in the soil for up to 10 years! I don't know if this is true or not, but if it is, it means that during any rainy season the larvae could hatch and become a problem again.

The question I had and no-one could answer it yet, is I wonder if because of the disease there will be a big drop in the bushmeat trade. Supposedly in Garissa many wild animals also died. Hopefully if the natives learned this it would deter them from snaring and poaching wildlife. Only time will tell, and we can only keep our fingers crossed.

Thus if you are planning on a trip to Kenya or Tanzania soon please be careful to protect yourself against mosquitoes and be very careful about any meat or milk you might eat or drink. If you wish to eat beef, lamb or goat be sure it is WELL COOKED and that the milk has been boiled. As Carsten said, it is unlikely that tourists will be effected, but it is possible, so take adequate precautions.

I forgot to add that it would seem that the CDC's estimate of 1% death rate is way too low this time.

Over 400 people have had the disease and over 150 have already died so approximately 30% have died so far in this epidemic.

and still the camps promote their tents to being "100% insect proof"! and the RVF is one more reason to take an own net on safari!
the reassurance of the government reminds me on our own government and the english when we faced the mad cow desease at the beginning of the 90ies. cannot comprehend how governments fiddle around with people's health and lifes just in order to not harm the meat industry!

Original von pippa the reassurance of the government reminds me on our own government and the english when we faced the mad cow desease at the beginning of the 90ies. cannot comprehend how governments fiddle around with people's health and lifes just in order to not harm the meat industry!

You're not suggesting that the Gov shut down the meat industry until RVF has ended are you?