Rwanda declared a fresh response after a second Rift Valley Fever outbreak in two years, close to the Tanzania border. Officials note the 2022 event was severe: a study recorded 173 human cases and 22 deaths, while hundreds of animals also died. The current outbreak began in mid‑August and authorities quickly stepped up surveillance and animal vaccinations.
Vaccination campaigns for livestock began on 7 September 2024. By 30 September the Rwanda Biomedical Centre had reported 28 positive livestock cases, and the Rwanda Agriculture Board said 8,410 of 32,999 earmarked animals (25 per cent) had been vaccinated. Health teams are using a one‑health approach that links human and animal actions.
Disease experts stress that lack of rapid diagnostic tests is a major obstacle. Edson Rwagasore said rapid kits are needed for instant results, while PCR testing can take up to six hours and rapid kits are unavailable on the market. Julien Niyingabira added that more than 100 people who may have had contact with infected animals were tested by PCR and so far none were positive.
There is no licensed human vaccine yet, but the candidate ChAdOx1 RVF entered Phase II trials in Kenya on 13 October after positive Phase I results in the UK; Jean Kaseya called the launch a "crucial milestone." Experts warn the risk of future outbreaks remains and urge stronger surveillance, improved diagnostics and wider research collaboration.
Difficult words
- outbreak — a sudden start of disease in a communityoutbreaks
- surveillance — continuous observation to detect disease cases
- vaccination — the process of giving vaccines to prevent infectionanimal vaccinations
- livestock — farm animals kept for food or work
- rapid — happening or done very quickly
- test — a procedure to identify disease or infectiondiagnostic tests
- candidate — a person or product under consideration
- phase — a stage in a planned series of trialsPhase II, Phase I
- earmark — to set something aside for a specific purposeearmarked animals
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How could a one-health approach that links human and animal actions help control outbreaks like this one? Give examples from the article.
- What are the advantages and limitations of rapid diagnostic kits compared with PCR testing in this situation?
- Which measures described in the article should Rwanda prioritise next, and why?
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