Isiolo enhances health measures to curb spread of deadly Rift Valley Fever
The disease is spread by mosquitoes and the movement of animals, with goats, cattle and sheep among the livestock that record a high rate of abortions and mortality.
Isiolo residents have been cautioned to stay on high alert following a Rift Valley Fever (RVF) outbreak which has caused mass livestock abortions in neighbouring Wajir and Marsabit counties.
Deputy Governor James Lowasa, who also doubles up as Isiolo’s County Health Executive, advocated for immediate sensitisation of the local population to stem the spread of the disease, with local citizens being trained on safe disposal of carcasses through protective gear.
Lowasa explained that the county was at the forefront of adopting proactive measures despite cases of human transmission yet to be reported.
The disease is spread by mosquitoes and the movement of animals, with goats, cattle, and sheep among the livestock that record a high rate of abortions and mortality.
"Animal samples taken during our recent surveillance showed the presence of the virus. We will collect more samples to establish if the disease spread to humans, for an informed response," Lowasa stated.
The DG spoke while unveiling Isiolo’s One-Health programme, which will see the county's Health, Livestock and Environment departments collaborate with various international organisations in tackling the outbreak through enhanced surveillance and case management.
Among the organisations are Amref Health Africa, Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Suisse (VSF-SUISSE), Catholic Relief Services, Action Against Hunger, and the World Food Programme.
Lowasa further called on residents experiencing fever to visit the nearest health facilities for check-ups, avoid consuming uninspected meat, and sleep in treated mosquito nets.
"Ensure the meat and milk boil well before taking them to minimise the spread of the disease.”
He also allayed fears of an impending closure of local livestock markets to stem the spread of the fever, emphasising that the outbreak did not warrant extreme control measures but strict vigilance.
Other than vigilance and public sensitisation, the county government also embarked on restricting the movement of livestock and training health journalists to create awareness.
The county's preventive measures will boost those provided by the national government, including the supply of RVF vaccines to support the ring vaccination of hundreds of thousands of animals in the region.
A team of experts was dispatched to Garbatulla and Merti Sub-Counties, which are among the hotspots in Isiolo.
An outbreak in 2021 claimed seven lives in the county.
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