State on high alert over Rift Valley Fever plague

By Anthony Gitonga

The Government has raised an alert over the possibility of an outbreak of the dreaded Rift Valley fever in parts of the country.

Following reports by the meteorological department that some areas will experience heavy rains, the Ministry of Livestock said mitigation measures were being put in place.

According to the minister in charge Mohammed Kuti, surveillance was high in parts of North Eastern and Rift Valley.

“The disease emerges whenever there are heavy rains and we have heightened our surveillance mainly in areas previously affected by the disease,” said the minister.

Dr Kuti said his ministry had already released 300,000 and 500,000 doses of vaccine to pastoralists in Garissa and Baringo respectively.

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He called on pastoralists in areas previously affected by the disease to report any suspicious symptoms.

Anti-rabies vaccines

The minister was speaking in Kihoto grounds in Naivasha during celebrations to mark the World Rabies Day. He assured the public the country had enough anti-rabies vaccines, contrary to reports from other government departments of an acute shortage.

“Over 55,000 people worldwide die annually from rabies and we have decided that all cats, dogs and donkeys will be vaccinated every year,” said the minister. During the function, over 4,000 animals, mainly dogs, received the anti-rabies vaccination.