Rift Valley Fever, a increasingly more common viral fever, is making an appearence in Sudan. A WHO report from December 20th, 2007 discusses the 601 new cases and 211 deaths in the areas of White Nile, Sennar, Gazeera and River Nile States. Gazeera seems to be the hardest hit with 406 cases and almost 150 deaths.
Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is generally spread through contact with infected animals and their blood. Common methods of contact include butchering animals, assisting in animal births and disposing of deal animals. Other known methods to acquire RVF are through mosquito bite (Aedes Species), drinking unpasteurized milk or eating poorly cooked/raw infected animal meat.
RVF is primarily a disease of cattle and is in the virus family Bunyaviridae. The virus was first identified in 1931, in the Rift Valley of Sudan. The first occurence was noted in sheep. Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia and Yemen have all suffered epidemics. RVF has not been noted to be spread through person-person contact there have been no reports of hospital acquired infections with proper barrier methods used (gloves, gown). RVF is also considered a rural disease, as urban transmission is very rare.
Learn more about viral diseases at my page: Adventure Doc Hemorrhagic Viruses