Rift Valley Fever is a viral zoonotic disease that is arthropod-borne.1, 2, 3, 4 This viral disease primarily affects domestic animals but has the ability to affect humans.1, 3, 4 The severity of the disease can range from mild to severe and can be potentially fatal.1 An epidemic in the animal population, also known as an epizootic, could result in increased economic loss as the disease leads to livestock death and spontaneous abortion among pregnant animals .1, 2, 3, 4 A reduction in trade could also result contributing to further economic loss.1, 2, 3, 4 The virus which causes Rift Valley Fever is in the family Bunyaviridae and the genus Phlebovirus.1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Rift Valley Fever was first reported around 1910, but was not identified until a Kenyan sheep farm was investigated after an epidemic in 1931.1, 2, 3, 5 The common name of the virus was derived from the area which it was identified, the Rift Valley of Kenya.1 A majority of the reported outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever have been contained to Sub-Saharan and Northern Africa.1, 3, 4 The most notable animal outbreak of Rift Valley Fever occurred in Kenya from 1950 to 1951.3, 4 This outbreak resulted in the death of approximately 100,000 sheep.3, 4 An outbreak in Egypt resulted in approximately 600 human deaths and a significant number of animal deaths in 1977.3, 4 In September of 2000, the first cases of Rift Valley Fever outside of Africa were confirmed in Saudi Arabia and later in Yemen.1, 2, 3, 4 Since the confirmation of the disease outside of Africa, Rift Valley Fever has been identified as a priority disease that has the potential to emerge geographically.2
Transmission of Rift Valley Fever to Humans
Transmission of disease can be the result of a few dist...
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...t approximately 1%.1, 2, 3, 4 Transmission to humans is either through direct or indirect contact with infected animals or their bodily fluids or infection through the bite of an infected mosquito.1, 2, 3, 4 Rift Valley Fever has been found to have a high capacity for colonization which greatly increases its’ potential emergent risk in Western Nations.2 The virus itself can survive a wide range of bioclimatic environments due to its’ transmission routes.2 The introduction of Rift Valley Fever into regions that were previously unaffected may be due to the potential movement of hosts and vectors through trade or migration.2 The mechanical transport of arthropod vectors is the most probable mechanism of disease dispersal.2 The potential for geographical spread of Rift Valley Fever is the reason why the disease has been identified as a priority emerging disease.2
At the start of the book, Fever 1793, the story takes place at the Cook’s Coffeehouse. The main character, Matilda, is woken up by her mom flipping open the curtains, yelling at her to wake up and get started on her morning chores before the guests arrive. Before the guests arrive, Eliza, a free black, also their cook, starts making food for the guests who will be arriving as soon as the shop opens. Matilda has to take care of the garden that is on the backside of the house, help get ready to open the shop, and also Polly’s chores because Polly, their serving girl, didn’t show up to work. After a while Matilda’s mom went to see where Polly was and found out Polly had died the previous evening because of an unknown illness. Matilda’s mom and Grandfather help out and did whatever else that
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This virus is similar to Ebola, because it started in the same place. Lab workers in Germany, in 1967, contracted the new virus while working with African Green Monkeys, which had the virus. The virus is described as a hemorrhagic fever. It has a fatality rate up to 90% and spreads through human to human contact. The first symptoms can be as simple as a fever and a headache, then can progress to organ failure, and fatal internal bleeding.
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The medical field is a vast land of beauty but with great beauty comes immense horror. There are many deadly viruses and diseases found in the medical field. In the novel, The Hot Zone by Richard Preston, the author discusses the many deadly viruses found in the field. The viruses are widespread due to the errors that occur when the viruses are in the presence of human beings. The effects of the errors performed by the human race include a decrease in population and wildlife. The viruses are spread in many different ways in the novel, but all are due to human mistakes.
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Changes in the way cases of valley fever are being detected and reported to public health officials, or
The West Nile Virus first came to the U.S. public's attention following an outbreak in New York in August 1999 where eight patients has contracted ecephalitis from the virus. In the following four years the virus spread to almost all 48 contiguous states. In the United States cases were initially infrequent until 2002, when a massive outbreak occurred in the Mississippi River basin during August and September. As it has spread through the country, nearly 8,500 people have been diagnosed with the virus, which has lead to 189 deaths. The emergence of the new disease has been followed closely by the media and the government. Many areas that have experienced significant outbreaks of the Virus have occured have implem...
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