RVF surveillance in Mayotte: Tracking an invisible disease from the society point of view

Rift Valley fever circulates in Mayotte's ruminants' population since 2004 but no symptomatic case among ruminants was officially declared. An active surveillance system has been implemented but couldn't link any seroconversion with an abortion event in the same herd. Farmers declare to know Rift Valley Fever but are not able to describe it. Their general knowledge health practices tend to be quite homogenous independently from the intensification of their farming system. It seems that they comply with the RVF surveillance and the prevention system only passively. The preoccupation of the farmers and the decision makers goes to more visible disease such as blackleg, against which the only vaccination campaign in Mayotte is promoted. (Resume d'auteur)