Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #193065
Title: NEAR REAL-TIME SURVEILLANCE FOR RIFT VALLEY FEVER IN AFRICA AND THE ARABIAN PENINSULA

Author
item Linthicum, Kenneth - Ken
item ANYAMBA, ASAPH - NASA, GREENBELT, MD
item CHRETIEN, JEAN-PAUL - DOD, SILVER SPRING, MD

Submitted to: American Mosquito Control Association
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/19/2006
Publication Date: 4/28/2006
Citation: Linthicum, K., Anyamba, A., Chretien, J. 2006. Near real-time surveillance for Rift Valley Fever in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula [abstract]. 72nd Annual Meeting of the American Mosquito Control Association, February 25 - March 2, 2006, Detroit, Michigan.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus causes severe disease, abortion, and death in domestic animals in Africa and Arabia. Humans are infected by both Aedes and Culex species mosquitoes, which maintain enzootic and epizootic transmission, respectively, or through exposure to infected animal tissue. Outbreaks can be devastating to the farming economies of rural Africa and can cause significant human morbidity and mortality. In Africa epizootics and human epidemics follow heavy rainfall. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Goddard Space Flight Center, the Department of Defense – Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System, and the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service – Center for Medical, Agricultural & Veterinary Entomology use near-real-time satellite vegetation measurements and associated climate data sets including sea surface temperatures and satellite derived cloudiness indices to make predictions about emerging Rift Valley Fever epidemics in Africa. Monitoring the state of sea surface temperatures, rainfall and ecological conditions guides the efforts in identifying areas of potential RVF outbreaks. Maps delineating potential RVF risk several months before an outbreak are published at http://www.geis.fhp.osd.mil/GEIS/SurveillanceActivities/RVFWeb/indexRVF.asp and can be used to determine strategies to vaccinate domestic animals and implement mosquito control programs.