rift valley fever: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Formal, Technical/Scientific, Medical
Quick answer
What does “rift valley fever” mean?
A viral disease, primarily affecting livestock (like sheep, goats, cattle) and occasionally humans, transmitted by mosquitoes and contact with infected animal tissues.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A viral disease, primarily affecting livestock (like sheep, goats, cattle) and occasionally humans, transmitted by mosquitoes and contact with infected animal tissues.
An acute zoonotic disease caused by the Phlebovirus, leading to high mortality in newborn animals and causing flu-like symptoms, hemorrhagic fever, or vision loss in humans. It is endemic to parts of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or spelling differences. Pronunciation differences follow general BrE/AmE patterns for the component words.
Connotations
Identical. Carries strong scientific/medical and geographical connotations.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in general discourse but standard in veterinary medicine, epidemiology, and related academic fields in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “rift valley fever” in a Sentence
An outbreak of [rift valley fever] occurred.[Rift valley fever] is transmitted by mosquitoes.Vaccinating livestock reduces the spread of [rift valley fever].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “rift valley fever” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The rift valley fever outbreak was contained.
- Rift valley fever research is a priority.
American English
- The Rift Valley fever outbreak was contained.
- Rift Valley fever research is a priority.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in agricultural/commodities trading reports discussing impacts on livestock markets.
Academic
Common in veterinary science, virology, epidemiology, and public health journals.
Everyday
Virtually non-existent unless discussing news reports of outbreaks.
Technical
Standard terminology in medical diagnostics, veterinary manuals, and WHO/CDC health advisories.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “rift valley fever”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “rift valley fever”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “rift valley fever”
- Incorrect capitalisation (e.g., 'Rift Valley Fever' is acceptable, but 'rift valley fever' is standard).
- Omitting 'valley' (e.g., 'rift fever').
- Treating it as a plural (e.g., 'rift valley fevers').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, there is no documented evidence of human-to-human transmission. It primarily spreads via mosquitoes or contact with infected animal tissues/blood.
It is predominantly found in sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, often associated with heavy rainfall and flooding which increase mosquito populations.
Yes, there are vaccines for livestock, which are key to controlling outbreaks. Vaccines for humans are under development but not yet widely available.
Most cases are mild (fever, muscle pain, headache). Severe cases can involve hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis (brain inflammation), or ocular disease (vision loss).
A viral disease, primarily affecting livestock (like sheep, goats, cattle) and occasionally humans, transmitted by mosquitoes and contact with infected animal tissues.
Rift valley fever is usually formal, technical/scientific, medical in register.
Rift valley fever: in British English it is pronounced /ˌrɪft ˌvæl.i ˈfiː.vər/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌrɪft ˌvæl.i ˈfiː.vɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a giant crack (rift) in a valley where farm animals get a dangerous fever.
Conceptual Metaphor
DISEASE IS AN INVADER (The fever outbreaks 'sweep through' valleys).
Practice
Quiz
Rift Valley fever is primarily transmitted to humans by: