Rift Valley fever within the context of climate change and One Health approach

Dr Osama Ahmed Hassan Ahmed¹

¹ University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Rift Valley fever(RVF) is an emerging viral zoonosis with great impact on human and wide range of animal health. The disease has been recognized by the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations among the most emerging zoonotic diseases with global concern.

RVF is transmitted by animals to humans directly through exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues of infected animals or via mosquito bites. RVF has been associated with heavy rains associate with El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the increasing surface temperature of the eastern Pacific Ocean in East Africa. The disease led to devastating outbreaks in Africa with large economic loss with an impact beyond the immediate influence on the directly affected agricultural producers. RVF reached Arab peninsula in Saudi Arabia and Yemen showing an ongoing geographic expansion outside Africa which could be enhanced by climate change and environmental modification in the future.

As we are living together animal, human and environment in one planet reflecting that our health is highly interconnected, this what is called One Health approach. One Health is applicable strategy to tackle RVF at human, animal and environment interface. RVF outbreaks can be effectively managed with a bottom-up and top down approach where community, veterinary and health authorities, entomologists, environmental specialists, biologists, social scientist play vital role in prevention and control of RVF.

Biography:

I am a researcher and infectious disease epidemiologist with main interest in Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases. I am using “The One Health Approach” where multidisciplinary teams work together to understand the interplay between environment ,animal health and human health as well as to ensure health for all. My interest and experience include the One Health surveillance, risk analysis and communication, zoonotic and vector-borne outbreak investigations and response as well as International Health Regulations (IHR) related to zoonotic and vector-borne transboundary diseases.