DAKAR, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Seventeen people have died since the outbreak of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in Senegal, a senior official from the country's Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene said Thursday.

Boly Diop, head of epidemiological surveillance at the ministry, told local media that since Sept. 21, a total of 119 confirmed cases have been reported nationwide.

Most of the confirmed cases were living in livestock-raising areas in the north of the country, he said.

The ministry said on social media on the same day that hospitals in Saint-Louis, northern Senegal, have recently received modern intensive care equipment, which would significantly enhance its capacity to admit and treat patients, especially severe cases.

Senegalese Minister of Health and Public Hygiene Ibrahima Sy said that the immediate priority is to strengthen medical infrastructure to ensure timely and effective treatment for patients, particularly those in critical condition, in order to save lives and contain the spread of the epidemic.

Rift Valley fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the Rift Valley fever virus. It primarily spreads among animals but can also infect humans.

Human infection is often linked to contact with the blood or organs of infected animals, particularly during slaughtering, butchering, assisting with animal births, or handling carcasses.

Common symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, and fatigue. While most cases are mild, delayed treatment can lead to hemorrhagic complications that may be fatal. ■