Planning for Rift Valley fever virus: use of geographical information systems to estimate the human health threat of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)-related transmission

Abstract

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-borne phlebovirus of the Bunyaviridae family that causes frequent outbreaks of severe animal and human disease in sub-Saharan Africa, Egypt,and the Arabian Peninsula. Based on its many known competent vectors, its potential for transmission via aerosolization, and its progressive spread from East Africa to neighboring regions, RVFV is considered a high-priority, emerging health threat forhumans, livestock, and wildlife in all parts of the world. Introduction of West Nile virus to North America has shown the potential for ‘exotic’ viral pathogens to become embedded in local ecological systems. While RVFV is known to infect and amplify within domestic livestock, such as taurine cattle, sheep, and goats, if RVFV is accidentally or intentionally introduced into North America, an important unknown factor will be the role of local wildlife in the maintenance or propagation of virus transmission. We examined the potential impact of RVFV transmission via white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)in a typical northeastern United States urban-suburban landscape, where livestock are rare, but these potentially susceptible ungulate wildlife are highly abundant. Model results, based on overlap of mosquito, human, and projected deer densities, indicate that a significant proportion (497/1186 km2, or 42 %) of the urban and peri-urban landscape could be affected by RVFV transmission during the late summermonths. Deer population losses, either by intervention for herd reduction or by RVFV-related mortality, would substantially reduce these likely transmission zones to 53.1 km2, orby 89%.

Information Technologies in Biomedicine

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Rift Valley Fever Virus, Japanese Encephalitis Virus, and African Swine Fever Virus: Three Transboundary, Vector-Borne, Veterinary Biothreats With Diverse Surveillance, and Response Capacity Needs

“…If introduced, many competent mosquito vectors exist in the US (8,9), and maintenance of the virus in mosquito populations by vertical transmission is possible (10)(11)(12). Deer have recently been shown to be a susceptible amplifying host (13) with viremias capable of infecting blood-feeding mosquitoes, which significantly increases the probability of enzootic establishment (14). Intensive livestock production in the US also creates a vulnerable environment for virus transmission among human and livestock communities by opportunistic mosquito vectors adapted to agricultural environments (15).…”

Quantifying the potential pathways and locations of Rift Valley fever virus entry into the United States

“…However, unlike WNV, where humans and large mammals do not contribute to viral amplification, RVFV produces viral titres capable of infecting mosquitoes in both livestock animals and humans (Kasari, Carr, Lynn, & Weaver, ; Meegan, ). Animal vaccine programmes are making significant progress, yet targeting domestic animals might not be sufficient to break endemic transmission of RVFV in the USA if wild animals, like deer, are capable of enzootic maintenance and viral amplification (Hartley, Rinderknecht, Nipp, Clarke, & Snowder, ; Kakani, LaBeaud, & King, ; Rolin, Berrang‐Ford, & Kulkarni, ). Should RVFV enter the USA, diagnosing the disease and controlling the spread of infected mosquitoes and vertebrates will pose a significant challenge to existing infrastructure (Britch & Linthicum, ).…”