Seroprevalence of rift valley in humans and the associated risk factors in some selected districts of Central and Western Zambia.
| dc.contributor.author | Kasongamulilo, Chilufya Chola | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-01-17T09:15:29Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-01-17T09:15:29Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description | Thesis of Master of Science in One Health Analytical Epidemiology. | |
| dc.description.abstract | Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an important viral zoonotic disease that not only affects ruminants but can cause serious morbidity and mortality in humans. In humans, symptoms range from mild flu-like to severe form such as retinal damage, meningo-encephalitis to haemorrhagic fever. From previous studies a prevalence of 9.43% of RVF antibodies was recorded in Lusaka abattoir workers close contact with cattle, while in Mazabuka district 18.63% tested were sero-positive of RVFV antibodies. However, Zambia has not recorded an outbreak of RVF for over 30 years, and as such little is known about the current sero-prevalence and risk factors associated with RVFV in human populations in the country. The aim of this study was to determine the extent of human exposure to RVFV and its associated risks in the selected districts of Zambia. In this study, 202 blood samples were collected via the cephalic vein from healthy individuals who were at high risk of exposure to RVFV in central and western parts of Zambia. The sera tested using competitive multi-species ELISA and IgM capture ELISA. This study revealed an overall seropositivity of 9.90%. The seropositivity was shared between two occupations, i.e. 16.67% was among abattoir workers while 14.41% was among livestock farmers. All seropositive results were IgG positive and none were IgM positive. Risk that were associated with RVF seropositivity (p=<0.250) at bivariate analysis were further analysed using a forward stepwise logistic regression analysis. However, only the movements of livestock in search of pasture and water was significantly associated to RVF seropositivity. This suggests that there was silent circulation of the virus indicative of an inter-epidemic period in Zambia. Since movement of livestock in search of pasture is a major risk factor for exposure to the RVFV as was found in this study, this would put other disease free areas at risk of having the virus spreading there. Therefore, controlled animal movements can be of great help in controlling the spread of this virus. This study recommends that public education will lead to increased understanding of RVF in Zambia thereby, achieving effective control of the disease. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://dspace.unza.zm/handle/123456789/9094 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | The University of Zambia | |
| dc.title | Seroprevalence of rift valley in humans and the associated risk factors in some selected districts of Central and Western Zambia. | |
| dc.type | Thesis |