Who discovered Rift Valley Fever?
The Rift Valley virus was first isolated in 1931 in livestock on a farm in Kenya. The most notable epizootic occurred in Kenya in 1950-1951 and resulted in the death of an estimated 100,000 sheep. In 1978, the virus was detected in Egypt and caused a large outbreak of illness in animals and humans. The first epidemic of Rift Valley fever in West Africa was reported in 1987. It was linked to construction of the Senegal River Project, which caused flooding in the lower Senegal River area. In late 1997, after exceptionally heavy rains, an epidemic resulted in the deaths of at least 300 people and large numbers of animals in remote parts of northeastern Kenya, southern Kenya, and southern Somalia.
