The One Health Approach is Necessary for the Control of Rift Valley Fever Infections in Egypt: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an emerging transboundary, mosquito-borne, zoonotic viral disease caused high morbidity and mortality in both human and ruminant populations. It is considered an important threat to both agriculture and public health in African and the Middle Eastern countries including Egypt. Five major RVF epidemics have been reported in Egypt (1977, 1993, 1994, 1997, and 2003). The virus is transmitted in Egypt by different mosquito's genera such as Aedes, Culex, Anopheles, and Mansonia, leading to abortions in susceptible animal hosts especially sheep, goat, cattle, and buffaloes. Recurrent RVF outbreaks in Egypt have been attributed in part to the lack of routine surveillance for the virus. These periodic epizootics have resulted in severe economic losses. We posit that there is a critical need for new approaches to RVF control that will prevent or at least reduce future morbidity and economic stress. One Health is an integrated approach for the understanding and management of animal, human, and environmental determinants of complex problems such as RVF. Employing the One Health approach, one might engage local communities in surveillance and control of RVF efforts, rather than continuing their current status as passive victims of the periodic RVF incursions. This review focuses upon endemic and epidemic status of RVF in Egypt, the virus vectors and their ecology, transmission dynamics, risk factors, and the ecology of the RVF at the animal/human interface, prevention, and control measures, and the use of environmental and climate data in surveillance systems to predict disease outbreaks.

The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comprehensive Review of Taxonomy, Genetics, Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Control

“…Control of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and future epidemics requires global efforts among medical and veterinary clinicians, diagnosticians, epidemiologists, public health experts, vaccinologists, pharmaceutical industries, economists, and governments to implement a One-Health approach [128,129]. These measures must include: (1) writing policies and supporting funds required for the implementation of One Health, prevention, and control measures, (2) hiring well-trained and professional personnel, (3) performing rapid and accurate diagnosis and treatment of infected persons, (4) developing and providing vaccines for virus control in humans, (5) conducting surveillance among wildlife for the identification and characterization of possible reservoirs and surveillance among people who are in contact with wildlife to identify risk factors in human behaviors and living environment, (6) improving hygienic measures, (7) assessing the social and economic impacts of COVID-19 on the population, (8) utilizing veterinary experience in the disinfection of premises and gatherings under the supervision of health authorities to decrease outbreaks in humans, (9) providing antiviral drugs for the treatment of the disease in humans, and (10) increasing public health awareness about the virus and its transmission.…”

In vitro shared transcriptomic responses of Aedes aegypti to arboviral infections: example of dengue and Rift Valley fever viruses

“…The ongoing outbreaks of RVF occurring in Mayotte, a French island part of the Comoros archipelago at the same time than dengue [ 9 , 10 ] as well as outbreaks of dengue in other islands of the Indian Ocean area (La Reunion and Seychelles islands) [ 11 , 12 ] underline the need of a better control of both diseases by implementing early warning systems resulting from interactions between people, mosquitoes, arboviruses, and environmental factors. An integrated approach taking into account the host and the vector compartments involved in vector borne diseases may help in anticipating or preventing the spread of huge outbreaks through adequate control measures [ 13 , 14 ]. Efforts have been made to better understand the mechanisms of pathogenesis of these viruses including pathways essential for replication and to develop innovating and appropriate diagnostic tools, therapeutics and vaccines [ 15 – 17 ].…”

External quality assessment of Rift Valley fever diagnosis in 17 veterinary laboratories of the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions

“…Human epidemics are often preceded by epizootics in livestock. Hence, surveillance of RVF in animals can act as an early warning system to prevent spill-over to humans [2,3]. Moreover, RVF is a notifiable disease to the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE) due to the sanitary and economic consequences derived from its emergence in a free country.…”

“…It is transmitted to animals by mosquitos of the genus Aedes and Culex [2]. Although humans can also be infected by mosquito bites, the main route of transmission is the contact with body fluids and tissues of infected animals or the consumption of contaminated animal products such as raw or unpasteurised milk [3].…”