Disease

Rift Valley Fever in Niger

On 30 August, the Ministry of Health in Niger notified WHO of unexplained deaths among humans, along with deaths in livestock in the Tahoua region of Niger. On 23 September, human and animal specimens were tested at the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) and were reported positive for Rift Valley Fever (RVF) virus by PCR and for specific IgM antibodies confirming the first outbreak of RVF in Niger. Initially the outbreak was centered in the north west of the country in areas bordering Mali, in particular around Tassara and Tchintabaraden in the Tahoua Region, however suspected cases of RVF have recently been identified in new areas to the north and south of Tchintabaraden.

Dengue Fever in Burkino Faso

Dengue fever has killed at least 18 people in Burkina Faso since August in the worst recorded outbreak of the disease to hit the West African nation, an aid agency said on Thursday. The mosquito-borne virus - which causes flu-like symptoms and can develop into the deadly hemorrhagic dengue fever - has infected nearly 2,000 people, mainly in central Burkina Faso.