Abstract
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a zoonotic phlebovirus of the Phenuiviridae family with great opportunity for emergence in previously unaffected regions, despite its current geographical limits. Outbreaks of RVFV often infect humans or domesticated animals, such as livestock, concurrently and occur sporadically, ranging from localized outbreaks in villages to multi-country events that spread rapidly. The true burden of Rift Valley fever (RVF) is not well defined due to underreporting, misdiagnosis caused by the broad spectrum of disease presentation, and minimal access for rapid and accurate laboratory confirmation. Severe symptoms may include hemorrhagic fever, loss of vision, psychological impairment or disturbances, and organ failure. Those living in endemic areas and travelers should be aware of the potential for exposure to ongoing outbreaks or interepidemic transmission, and engage in behaviors to minimize exposure risks, as vaccinations in humans are currently unavailable and animal vaccinations are not used routinely or ubiquitously. The lack of vaccines approved for use in humans is concerning, as RVFV has proven to be highly pathogenic in naïve populations, causing severe disease in a large percent of confirmed cases, which could have considerable impact on human health.
Highlights
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) was first isolated in Kenya as a virus with the capacity to infect livestock herds of sheep and cattle, as well as humans [1]
Of the many competent vector species [17], infected females of some mosquito species may transmit the virus to their offspring during oviposition, or transovarial transmission (TOT) [32], readily allowing future generations of mosquitoes to transmit RVFV [33]
The United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and many locations in the European Union have been established as potential points for emergence of RVFV in the future due to the availability of mosquito species that are capable of transmitting RVFV, extensive livestock economies and trade, and potential wildlife hosts for interepidemic maintenance [43,44,117,118]
Summary
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) was first isolated in Kenya as a virus with the capacity to infect livestock herds of sheep and cattle, as well as humans [1]. Typically occurring in up to 8–10% of cases [48], include ocular scarring, central nervous system (CNS) involvement, hemorrhagic fever, organ failure, and death [47,49,50]. Detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies may be possible [70,71], yet assays designed for IgM detection are notoriously problematic, with potential cross-reactivity and interfering factors (such as rheumatoid factor) leading to inconsistent results, and are not as reliable as PCR diagnostics for acute cases These analyses may not describe the true burden of RVF in a given population, as acute infections are rarely detected and clinical factors cannot be monitored in real time. Traveler-acquired cases of RVF continue to occur, and the public health implications of such cases continue to stress the importance of accurate incidence and prevalence reporting, rapid diagnostic availability and affordability, and the need for a vaccine for human use
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