Abstract
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an acute, zoonotic viral disease caused by a Phlebovirus, which belongs to the Bunyaviridae family. Among livestock, outbreaks of the disease are economically devastating. They are often characterised by large, sweeping abortion storms and have significant mortality in adult livestock. The aim of the current study was to investigate RVFV infection in the Kigoma region, which is nestled under the hills of the western arm of the Great Rift Valley on the edge of Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania. A region-wide serosurvey was conducted on non-vaccinated small ruminants (sheep and goats, n = 411). Sera samples were tested for the presence of anti-RVFV antibodies and viral antigen, using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The overall past infections were detected in 22 of the 411 animals, 5.4% (Confidence Interval (CI) 95% = 3.5% - 8.1%). The Kigoma rural area recorded the higher seroprevalence of 12.0% (CI 95% = 7.3% - 18.3%; p < 0.0001), followed by Kibondo at 2.3% (CI 95% = 0.5% - 6.5%; p > 0.05) and the Kasulu district at 0.8% (CI 95% = 0.0% - 4.2%; p > 0.05). The prevalence was 12.5% and 4.7% for sheep and goats, respectively. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction results indicated that only eight samples were found to be positive (n = 63). This study has confirmed, for the first time, the presence of the RVFV in the Kigoma region four years after the 2007 epizootic in Tanzania. The study further suggests that the virus activity exists during the inter-epizootic period, even in regions with no history of RVFV.
Highlights
InformationTanzania has experienced several Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) epizootics or epidemics in different regions
RVFV is a viral disease of animals and humans that occurs throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula
The present study reports the presence of RVFV infections during the inter-epizootic period (IEP) and in a region known to be free from RVFV
Summary
Background InformationTanzania has experienced several Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) epizootics or epidemics in different regions. The available records at the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Development (MoLFD) indicate that RVFV occurred for the first time in Tanzania in 1930. This was followed by periodic epidemics every 10 – 20 years, for example in 1947, 1957, 1977, 1997 and 2007 (Sindato et al 2011). Outbreaks of the disease are episodic and closely linked to climate variability It is especially widespread during elevated rainfall, as this facilitates RVFV transmission by vector mosquitoes (Linthicum et al 1987). These mosquitoes are thought to initiate outbreaks among livestock; breeds of sheep and cattle are susceptible. The acute onset of large numbers of affected individuals and livestock during outbreaks can greatly strain public health and veterinary infrastructures (Bird et al 2008)
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