Rift Valley Fever Outbreaks in Uganda: Analyzing Spatial and Temporal Trends

Strategic Insights -

A recent study by researchers from the National Animal Disease Diagnostics and Epidemiology Centre analyzed the spatial and temporal distribution of Rift Valley fever outbreaks in Uganda from 2013 to 2022. The study highlighted the need for targeted interventions, strengthened surveillance, and interdisciplinary collaboration to mitigate future outbreaks. The research found that Rift Valley fever has been reported in 74.1% of surveyed districts, representing 27.2% of all districts nationwide, with bovine exhibiting the highest seropositivity among tested animals.

Key Takeaways:

  • Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic disease caused by the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), primarily affecting livestock and transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes.
  • Uganda reported its first human cases of RVF in 1968, with sporadic outbreaks continuing since the significant outbreak in 2016.
  • The study utilized archived RVF data from NADDEC, along with rainfall and temperature data from the Uganda Meteorological Centre, to analyze trends in RVF outbreaks across Uganda.
  • During the study period, RVF outbreaks were reported in 74.1% of districts surveyed, representing 27.2% of all districts nationwide.
  • The overall RVF seropositivity among tested animals was found to be 13.02%, with bovine exhibiting the highest RVF seropositivity among the commonly raised species.
  • The year 2017 recorded the highest RVF seropositivity at 19.6%, while the central region had the highest RVF seropositivity at 17.7% and the eastern region recorded the lowest at 4.6%.
  • The research concluded that addressing the gaps in understanding the virus's maintenance mechanisms, reservoirs, vector dynamics, and environmental factors that facilitate its survival and re-emergence is critical to improving early warning systems and implementing effective control measures.

Statistics:

  • Rift Valley fever outbreaks were reported in 74.1% of surveyed districts (27.2% of all districts nationwide).
  • The overall RVF seropositivity among tested animals was 13.02% (95% CI: 12.4-13.7%).
  • Bovine exhibited the highest RVF seropositivity among the commonly raised species (13.02%).
  • The year 2017 recorded the highest RVF seropositivity at 19.6%.
  • The central region had the highest RVF seropositivity at 17.7% (95% CI: 15.8-19.7%), while the eastern region recorded the lowest at 4.6%.

Sources:

  • Spatial and temporal analysis of Rift Valley fever outbreaks in livestock in Uganda: a retrospective study from 2013 to 2022. BMC Veterinary Research, 2025, 21(1):1-10.
  • National Animal Disease Diagnostics and Epidemiology Centre (NADDEC)
  • Uganda Meteorological Centre
  • BMC Veterinary Research (http://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com)
  • https://doi-org.sdpl.idm.oclc.org/10.1186/s12917-025-04825-6