Comparison of Rift Valley fever virus replication in North American livestock and wildlife cell lines

Abstract

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) causes disease outbreaks across Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, resulting in high morbidity and mortality among young domestic livestock, frequent abortions in pregnant animals, and potentially severe or fatal disease in humans. The possibility of RVFV spreading to the United States or other countries worldwide is of significant concern to animal and public health, livestock production, and trade. The mechanism for persistence of RVFV during inter-epidemic periods may be through mosquito transovarial transmission and/or by means of a wildlife reservoir. Field investigations in endemic areas and previous in vivo studies have demonstrated that RVFV can infect a wide range of animals, including indigenous wild ruminants of Africa. Yet no predominant wildlife reservoir has been identified, and gaps in our knowledge of RVFV permissive hosts still remain. In North America, domestic goats, sheep, and cattle are susceptible hosts for RVFV and several competent vectors exist. Wild ruminants such as deer might serve as a virus reservoir and given their abundance, wide distribution, and overlap with livestock farms and human populated areas could represent an important risk factor. The objective of this study was to assess a variety of cell lines derived from North American livestock and wildlife for susceptibility and permissiveness to RVFV. Results of this study suggest that RVFV could potentially replicate in native deer species such as white-tailed deer, and possibly a wide range of non-ruminant animals. This work serves to guide and support future animal model studies and risk model assessment regarding this high-consequence zoonotic pathogen.

Rapamycin modulation of p70 S6 kinase signaling inhibits Rift Valley fever virus pathogenesis

“…Members of this family include Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, Hantaan virus, and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) (Bouloy and Weber, 2010; Elliott, 1990 ; Ikegami et al, 2009). Of particular note is RVFV, an arthropod-borne virus that has left its original Sub-Saharan niche and has traversed the African continent and Arabian Peninsula (Boshra et al, 2015; Centers for Disease and Prevention, 2000; Chevalier, 2013; Gaudreault et al, 2015; Golnar et al, 2014). Outbreaks have been as large as tens to hundreds of thousands of cases (Abdel-Wahab et al, 1978; Himeidan et al, 2014) with a case fatality rate of 0.5 to 2% (Madani et al, 2003).…”

“…Additionally, the socioeconomic impact of these outbreaks is devastating with the loss of livestock, revenue, and the unraveling of local communities from such hardship (Chengula et al, 2013; Peyre et al, 2015; Sindato et al, 2011). The United States (US) has reservoir mosquito species for RVFV, Aedes / Culex genera, and amplifying hosts, cattle/sheep/goats, in plentiful supply, thus setting the stage for potential introduction into the US (Gaudreault et al, 2015; Golnar et al, 2014). …”

Rift Valley Fever

“…However, since many different mosquito species are competent for virus replication (Table 1) and since a variety of wild animals in Africa are susceptible (Table 2), it is conceivable that North American wild animals could also serve as hosts. RVFV replicates readily to high titers in cell lines from white-tailed deer 108 , although to date no experimental infections have been attempted in these animals.…”

Rift Valley Fever Virus: Propagation, Quantification, and Storage

“…Additional animal species with reported seroconversion post‐outbreak include springbok, wildebeest, and black‐faced impala (Andrea Capobianco et al., ). In cell culture and challenge infections, North American wild white‐tailed deer have shown susceptibility to RVFV, suggesting their potential to be a wildlife reservoir in the United States (Gaudreault et al., ; Wilson et al., ). The broad host range of RVFV in ruminants and wildlife reaffirms the potential for devastating widespread losses in a RVF outbreak outside of endemic areas.…”

“…RVFV can infect many different mammalian and mosquito cell and tissue types (Gaudreault, Indran, Bryant, Richt, & Wilson, 2015). The propagation of RVFV in permissive immortalized mammalian cell lines is a reliable method for generating progeny virus that maintains its virulence and infectivity.…”