Efforts to contain the spread of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) among cattle, goats and sheep are gaining momentum, with authorities carrying out household and pasture inspections and establishing designated vaccination sites in villages, according to local leaders and livestock farmers. The New Times has learnt that markets for cattle, goats and sheep remain closed, while bars and restaurants have been prevented from serving meat from the affected livestock. ALSO READ: Meat prices disrupted amid Rift Valley Fever outbreak Only fish and chicken are currently being served in bars and restaurants in the Eastern Province. On June 26, the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) placed cattle, goats and sheep under quarantine in six districts following an outbreak of RVF. The initially affected districts were Rulindo, Burera, Gicumbi, Kirehe, Kayonza and Rwamagana. The quarantine was later extended to the entire Eastern Province and several districts in the Northern Province. As a preventive measure, livestock in affected areas have been quarantined, while slaughtering and meat sales have been prohibited. Livestock supplies are now coming mainly from the Western and Southern provinces after the animals test negative for the disease. RAB directed district authorities to strengthen disease control measures by ensuring the immediate reporting of any animal suspected of infection or showing symptoms of RVF. “Village leaders, Isibo leaders and community health workers are visiting every household with cows, goats and sheep to enforce prevention guidelines and report any symptoms to veterinary technicians and local leaders. We were taught that the symptoms include high fever, weakness and bleeding from any body opening, particularly the nose,” said Jean Damascene Kayiranga, the leader of Karama Village in Musumba Village, Kayonza District. ALSO READ: Rwanda tackles RVF using ‘One Health’ approach He said all cattle, sheep and goats were taken to a designated site in the village for vaccination. “We hope door-to-door checking for vaccination will help eliminate the outbreak,” he said. Kayiranga said cell executive leaders collect insecticides, including PERMAPY and PERMAPY PLUS, from sector offices for distribution to villages. PERMAPY and PERMAPY PLUS are veterinary insecticides used to control external parasites. They are sprayed on animals to kill parasites such as ticks, mites, lice and flies. The products contain pyrethrins, insect-killing substances derived from pyrethrum. “We receive forms which we fill in, indicating the number of cows, goats and sheep owned by each farmer. We use the insecticide and pumps to spray the livestock twice a week, according to regulations. We receive the insecticide free of charge twice a week. I lead 373 households in our village, and I check 272 households with cows, goats and sheep,” he explained. ALSO READ: Eastern Province on alert as Rift Valley Fever kills over 100 cows in Ngoma District He said community health workers provide daily reports on the households they visit to help detect suspected RVF cases. Innocent Tuyisenge, a livestock farmer in the Eastern Province, said community health workers visit farmers every day to check the condition of their animals. “Health workers also remind farmers to wash their animals twice a week on designated days and to maintain cleanliness in the areas where the animals are kept,” he said. The Northern Province was also placed under quarantine, except Gakenke District. Musanze District and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre launched a livestock vaccination campaign against RVF in Kinigi Sector on July 13. Claudien Nsengiyumva, Mayor of Musanze District, urged residents to follow preventive measures, including participating in the livestock vaccination campaign, avoiding free grazing and ensuring that only inspected and tested livestock are slaughtered. Veterinary teams trained Dr Laurien Ntamugabumwe, Head of Veterinary Research and Professional Development at the Rwanda Council of Veterinary Doctors (RCVD), said veterinary doctors and technicians who are members of the council had received Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) training. IPC training equips healthcare and support workers with skills to prevent disease transmission, manage outbreaks and reduce healthcare-associated infections. “We conducted such training when the outbreak was announced. We organised training under the One Health approach in partnership with the ministry in all 30 districts. Some trainings took place at hospitals, while others were conducted virtually. We warned veterinarians against malpractice. No dead ruminant livestock should be consumed, and the movement of livestock across district borders is not allowed in provinces under quarantine,” he said. There are 6,000 veterinary council members, of whom 1,748 practitioners are operating in 34 veterinary companies. Ntamugabumwe said efforts to contain the outbreak were yielding results, with the number of positive cases or infected animals decreasing, although he said he was not in a position to provide national figures. “But even if there is one or two cases, it is alarming because they might cause the disease to spread if measures are not taken. Therefore, containment efforts remain in place. Even this Thursday, we have another refresher training for veterinarians. Samples are still being taken for testing,” he added. MINAGRI assures the public The Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Telesphore Ndabamenye, said the vaccination campaign targeting cattle, goats and sheep over the past two months is expected to pave the way for the resumption of livestock sales for meat, which could help bring down meat prices. He said climate change has contributed to the increasing spread of livestock diseases, making vaccination an important measure to protect animals and restore confidence in the livestock market. According to the minister, vaccinated animals develop immunity within about a month, and the vaccination campaign has already started showing positive results. “The efforts are bearing fruit. Since June, all livestock have been vaccinated, and the supply of livestock to the market for meat could resume soon,” he said during a talk show on RBA, without providing further details. ALSO READ: What’s behind soaring meat prices? When asked for details on the number of livestock that had died from the outbreak and the number vaccinated, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources could not provide the requested information. According to a MINAGRI report, Rwanda had an estimated 1,727,913 cattle in 2025. Statistics estimate the country’s goat population at between 1.9 million and 2.8 million, while there are around 601,836 sheep.
