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Prevention To prevent the spread of Rift Valley fever, scientists have targeted mosquitoes, the prime carriers of the disease. The best place to reduce the mosquito population is in their principal breeding grounds, the dambos. Dambos are sprayed with the hormone Methoprene, which prevents mosquito larvae from becoming adults. Sometimes the dambos are subjected to controlled burns, but this technique is less effective in the long run than using Methoprene. Another way to prevent the spread of Rift Valley fever is to protect the human and animal populations directly, through the use of vaccines. Those vaccinated become immune to the disease. (A natural way to develop immunity is to contract the disease and survive it.) Unfortunately, in impoverished countries such as Kenya, the expense of providing vaccine to everyone prevents this disease from being entirely eliminated from this area.
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