Rift Valley Fever

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a peracute or acute zoonotic disease of domestic ruminants. The virus is currently confined to the African continent and Arabian Peninsula. It is caused by a single serotype of a mosquito-borne virus of the Bunyaviridae family (genus Phlebovirus). The disease occurs in climatic conditions favouring the breeding of mosquito vectors and is characterised by abortion, neonatal mortality and liver damage. The disease is most severe in sheep, goats and cattle. Older non-pregnant animals, although susceptible to infection, are more resistant to clinical disease. There is considerable variation in the susceptibility to RVF of animals of different species. Camels usually have an inapparent infection with RVF virus (RVFV), but sudden mortality, neonatal mortality and abortion occurs and abortion rates can be as high as in cattle.