Mindy Rostal and Alina Evans - Kenya

Rostal and Evans in Garissa, Kenya.

On the dusty savannahs and dry grasslands of Eastern Africa, D.V.M./M.P.H. students Alina Evans and Mindy Rostal are conducting research on zoonotic diseases. They are spending the bulk of their time in Garissa, Kenya, investigating Rift Valley fever (RVF), a mosquito-borne viral disease that affects livestock, wildlife, and humans.

Outbreaks of RVF are most common during years of heavy rainfall. Amid a drought, Evans and Rostal are working on a pilot study for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, collecting clinical data from febrile patients and blood samples from sheep. They are trying to determine if RVF is circulating in livestock or human populations between epidemics. The experience is leaving a lasting impression on Rostal.

"The hospital where we work has about two thermometers and a stethoscope," she says. "They lack the basics. Seeing the standard of care in Kenya is confirming my dedication to working in global public health."

Before the RVF project began, the duo traveled to Mwea, where they donned protective suits and worked with wildlife veterinarians in the field doing surveillance for bird flu among wild water fowl.

"Seeing elands and sheep in the pastures and small children playing among the chickens and goats is illustrating how closely connected the health of humans, livestock, and wildlife is, especially in developing countries," says Evans.

Between the field and the lab, Rostal and Evans managed to find an internet connection and keep in touch with the SPH community during their field experience. Read their blogs from abroad.