Health Alert: Rift Valley Fever – U.S. Embassy Dakar, Senegal (December 10, 2025)
Event: On September 26, 2025, the Senegalese Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene officially reported an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (RVF). RVF is transmitted primarily through mosquito bites and contact with sick animals and their products. There have been no documented cases of human-to-human transmission. Initial cases were concentrated in the Saint Louis, Louga, and Matam regions, with a high number of reported cases, severe cases requiring hospitalizations, and death rates that exceeded prior RVF outbreaks.
The RVF outbreak is ongoing and has spread to the following regions of Senegal: Saint Louis, Matam, Louga, Dakar, Thies, Kedougou, Kolda, Kaolack, Kaffrine, Fatick, and Tambacounda. Fortunately, the number of new cases reported per week is decreasing and recent cases have also been less severe, with fewer hospitalizations. This has resulted in a sharp decrease in the number of reported deaths across the country.
Although Senegal has seen reductions in the number of cases per week, the outbreak is not over yet, and mosquitoes are still prevalent. Please continue to take the following precautions to protect yourself from RVF, as well as other mosquito-borne illnesses such as malaria and dengue.
Actions to Take:
- Review the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Travel Health Notice for Rift Valley Fever in Senegal.
- Refer to U.S. Embassy Dakar’s medical assistance list.
- Check with your medical provider if you have any questions regarding upcoming travel.
- Check with your travel insurance provider about medical evacuation options should you fall ill while overseas.
- Use insect repellents containing EPA-registered active ingredients (e.g., DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or oil of eucalyptus).
- Wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks to cover exposed skin.
- Sleep under bed nets and ensure doors and windows have screens.
- Remain indoors during peak mosquito activity (dusk to dawn) in protected areas.
- Eliminate standing water around your home to reduce mosquito breeding sites.
- Avoid contact with blood, body fluids, or tissues of potentially infected animals. Individuals working with animals should wear gloves, boots, long sleeves, and a face shield.
- Handle, eat, and drink animal products safely. All animal products, including meat, milk, and blood, should be thoroughly cooked before eating or drinking them.
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy Dakar, Senegal
Route Des Almadies
Dakar, Senegal
+221 33 879 4000
DakarACS@state.gov
https://sn.usembassy.gov/
State Department – Consular Affairs
+1-888-407-4747 or +1-202-501-4444
