Rift Valley Fever Disease Surveillance and Control Strategies in Marigat Sub County, Baringo County, Kenya

Abstract

Rift Valley fever (RVF) a viral disease of ruminants, camels and humans transmitted by mosquitoes that belong to the Aedes and Culex genera. The disease causes a high economic impact because of livestock sickness and deaths. The government of Kenya is currently implementing a National Contingency Plan for RVF which is intended to serve as a national guideline to RVF preparedness and response activities within the Republic of Kenya. It stipulates the information, tasks, and procedures that would be necessary to facilitate the decision-making process regarding RVF control and management. Despite the existence of an RVF surveillance and control strategy, named the National Contingency Plan for Rift Valley Fever, RVF outbreaks have been occurring in Baringo County and other parts of Kenya during all the above-average rainfall seasons. This study therefore aimed to assess the enablers and barriers of the existing contingency plan to build its resilience to avert the numerous economic losses associated with RVF outbreaks not only in Baringo County but in Kenya as a whole. A cross-sectional household survey was conducted in Marigat subcounty targeting households and participants in areas where previous outbreaks had occurred. The selection of households was purposive and stratified based on their convenient accessibility. A majority of the respondents (64%) notified the appropriate veterinary authorities about disease outbreaks. Further, fewer than half of the participants (46.25%) had participated in campaigns aimed at raising awareness about RVF and other diseases. Mobile phones emerged as the primary means of reporting disease outbreaks (48%). A significant majority of the participants (95%) believe that RVF is a perilous disease that can be prevented through animal vaccination. In conclusion, increased involvement of the community in RVF awareness campaign, improved veterinary service delivery and harnessing the use of mobile phones in RVF surveillance will help improve the existing RVF contingency plan