A spread that worries the highest authorities. Since its detection on September 20, 2025, in the Saint-Louis region, Rift Valley fever has continued to spread. To date, this zoonosis has already affected 258 people, 192 of whom have recovered, and claimed the lives of 21 souls.

Faced with this situation, the Minister of Health and Social Action, Dr. Ibrahima Sy, faced the press on Monday, October 20, to provide information on the epidemiological situation of Rift Valley fever.

In addition to this first point, the objectives of this meeting were to present the main response actions implemented by the government and its partners, to raise awareness among the population about prevention and protection measures but also to reaffirm the State's commitment to transparency and intersectoral coordination.

 

"We are not dealing with a disease transmitted between humans."

 

At the beginning of his opening remarks, Dr. Ibrahima Sy wanted to clarify one point: "It is important to clarify that we are not dealing with a disease that is transmitted between humans. It is not like Covid or any other disease that can be transmitted from person to person. But this disease is transmitted either directly through a mosquito bite, or by handling livestock-related products, or by being in contact with livestock. The technical teams have detected several types of mosquitoes. The mosquito and livestock exchange the virus."

According to the authorities, this zoonosis is at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health. Currently, Rift Valley fever affects six of Senegal's 14 regions, with a "more pronounced concentration of cases in the north."

Fully committed to this fight, experts from the Ministry of Health have identified several species of vector mosquitoes, including the Culex, whose presence is particularly pronounced in the Saint-Louis region.

 

Response measures

"Faced with this situation, the government has implemented a multi-sectoral response, coordinated at the national and regional levels, and has taken strong and immediate measures, including the activation of epidemic management committees at all levels, from the national to the local level, to ensure the coordination of interventions," said the Minister of Health.

Among the other measures implemented by the health authorities, we can note the medical care of patients with the hospitalization of serious cases and home monitoring of simple cases.

In this regard, the minister indicates that this "was made possible thanks to the allocation of equipment for the Saint-Louis regional hospital worth 139.9 million, including 104 million for the Saint-Louis hospital and 35.8 million for Richard-Toll, whose equipment is currently being acquired."

As part of public health measures, the minister mentioned the livestock vaccination campaign, particularly for small ruminants, in order to limit the spread of the virus among animals. "Because as long as the virus circulates among animals and can be present in vectors, it is often difficult to interrupt the transmission cycle," he said.

Another public health measure taken as part of vector control is the location of breeding sites (places where insect larvae, such as mosquitoes, develop in stagnant water before becoming adults) and the possibilities of destroying them. "And we even had to use drones to do this," said the minister, adding that local communication in the local language to inform and raise awareness among populations in markets, villages, and also pastoral areas has been launched.

“Direct contact with sick or dead animals must be avoided and prompt reporting must be reported...”

These are all measures that would have helped, according to the minister, to mitigate the progression of this epidemic. Despite this last encouraging point, Dr. Ibrahima Sy urged the population to remain vigilant. "This is why we call on everyone to adopt good behavior. We must avoid direct contact with sick or dead animals, quickly report any suspected cases or any abortion in livestock to the veterinary services (...). We also strongly recommend the use of impregnated mosquito nets, because we have seen that where we intensify the distribution of mosquito nets, there is an immediate effect which consists of a decrease in the number of cases, as in Saint-Louis for example," he said.

In livestock, warning signs include abortion, bloating, and nasal discharge. If these symptoms are observed, it is advisable to alert specialized services. Improving the sanitation of the living environment is also strongly recommended.

"We also recommend going to health facilities in case of fever or other symptoms and avoiding self-medication, because it has been shown that anti-inflammatory medications are much more risky than those that are not used. Therefore, we must always refer to doctors' instructions in this regard," advised the minister.