Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Epicentre were involved in a Rift Valley fever (RVF) outbreak that occurred in December 2006 and January 2007, in North Eastern Province, Kenya. The epidemic followed massive flooding, associated with the El Niño ocean-atmospheric phenomenon.
The French section of MSF supported Kenyan health authorities with medical and preventive interventions in the southern district of Ijara. Epicentre, with the support of an associated EPIET fellow, supported the Kenya MoH for data collection and active case finding. We report here the main epidemiological findings for this district.
As of 30 January 2007, with a total of 139 cases (28 deaths), Ijara was the second most affected district of North Eastern province (total of 411 cases), after the district of Garissa (175 cases). The first and last case in Ijara district was notified with onset of symptoms on 7 December 2006 and 28 January 2007, respectively. The peak was on 26-28 December 2006 (27 cases). The majority of cases were male (61%) with a median age of 30 years. These results were similar to those of the previous outbreak in 1997-98 in the same area1.

In 1997-98 the RVF epidemic was followed by a large malaria epidemic2. Since we were presently facing to a similar climatic and environmental situation, there was the concern that a malaria epidemic was likely to occur early 2007.
We implemented therefore a malaria surveillance/alert system in Ijara district. Information collected allowed to put in evidence that no malaria epidemic occurred during the period under observation (22 January to 11 February 2007).

1. Bonmarin I, Mac Carthy N (1998). Haemorrhagic Rift Valley Fever Outbreak in North Eastern Province, Kenya and Southern Somalia, December 1997 - February 1998. Report of a WHO field investigation team (unpublished, available at Epicentre, Paris).

2. Brown V, Abdir IM, Rossi M, Barboza P, Paugam A (1998). Epidemic of malaria in north-eastern Kenya. Lancet. 352(9137):1356-7.