Rift Valley fever virus

Epidemiology

• causes mosquito-borne infection in domestic animals (cattle, sheep, goats, camels) & humans
• can be transmitted from infected body fluids or tissues
• sub-Saharan Africa & Madagascar
• outbreaks reported in Saudi Arabia & Yeman (2000)

Clinical manifestations

• infection may be asymptomatic
• fever, generalized weakness, back pain, dizziness, weight loss
• fever may progress to hemorrhagic fever
  • shock
• encephalitis
  • headache, seizure, coma
• retinitis
• most patients recover within 2 days to 1 week of symptom onset

Laboratory

• liver function tests may be abnormal
• Rift valley fever virus serology
• Rift valley fever virus Antigen

Complications

• retinitis (most common complication)
  • 1-10% of patients have some permanent visual impairment
• mortality (1%)

Management

• no established treatment
• studies in monkeys suggest ribaviran may be useful
• interferon & other immune modulator may play a role in the future

More general terms

• phlebovirus

Additional terms

• mosquito borne infection