Primary prevention
The following preventive measures are recommended for people in an RVF-endemic area:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend the following mosquito bite prevention measures:[11][42]
Wearing clothes that cover as much of the body as possible (e.g., long-sleeved shirts and long trousers); clothes may be treated with permethrin
Staying in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside
Sleeping under a mosquito net (possibly impregnated with insecticide)
Using approved insect repellent (if >2 months of age); DEET, picaridin, and IR3535 can be used in pregnant and breastfeeding women when used as directed
Covering cribs, strollers, or baby carriers with a mosquito net
Emptying, cleaning, or covering containers that can hold water to reduce areas where mosquitoes can breed
Ensure mosquito avoidance behaviours persist during peak day biting times of Aedes spp. mosquitos (early morning and afternoon hours).
If working with animals wear protective equipment to avoid any exposure to potentially infected blood or tissues.[11][12]
Animal husbandry procedures and slaughtering practices are considered high risk, and may increase likelihood for exposure to Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV). When working with animals, especially in areas with a history of RVFV outbreaks, it is recommended that individuals:
Wear gloves and other protective clothing (masks with eye protection)
Avoid handling sick animals and the fluids from sick animals (e.g., abortus material, which is common with RVF infection)
Avoid slaughtering sick animals for consumption, especially during an outbreak
Avoid the unsafe consumption of fresh blood, raw (unpasteurised or uncooked) milk, or animal tissue, especially during an outbreak.[1]
Healthcare workers who may be exposed to infected patients should follow these steps:
Wear protective clothing
Practice proper infection control and sterilisation measures
Isolate suspected patients from each other if possible, and confirmed patients from suspected patients
Notify health officials if they have direct contact with the body fluids of an infected patient.
WHO: aide-memoire for infection prevention and control in a health care facility Opens in new window
There are currently no licensed vaccines against RVFV available to humans.[11][12][10][43][44] Vaccines have been licensed and approved for use in livestock. The Smithburn vaccine, the MP-12 vaccine, and the Clone-13 vaccine are live attenuated virus vaccines that require a single dosage.[44][45] Inactivated virus vaccines produced from field strains require annual vaccination.[44] The range of vaccinations available in endemic areas is limited.[44] Usage is dependent on access to the vaccine and personal preference of the farmer, owner of the livestock, or the community. Knowledge of and attitudes towards vaccination use is dependent on the local experience with past exposures or outbreaks. The live attenuated vaccines available have common teratogenic and abortifacient side effects, resulting in a reduced livestock yield despite precautions.[44][46] Additionally, vaccines are typically made available as an emergency response, which is often too late to prevent significant spread of RVFV during an outbreak. At the present moment, reactive livestock vaccination for RVFV is not recommended when RVFV is already circulating given the potential to re-assort with wild type virus and the risk of seeding infections and increasing outbreak spread if the needle is not changed between animals.[47]
Secondary prevention
RVF is a notifiable disease in both livestock and humans.
Pregnant animals can spread the infection to their unborn fetuses and risk infection-induced abortion, stillbirths, and other abnormalities. While there have been a small number of cases of human maternal-to-fetal transmission, the estimated risk is low.[57] Supportive care and careful monitoring should be applied to pregnant women infected with Rift Valley fever virus as a precautionary measure.
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