Relevance of Rift Valley fever to public health in the European Union

Abstract

Rift Valley fever (RVF), a vector-borne zoonotic disease caused by a phlebovirus (family Bunyaviridae), is considered to be one of the most important viral zoonoses in Africa. It is also a potential bioterrorism agent. Transmitted by mosquitoes or by direct contact with viraemic products, RVF affects both livestock and humans, causing abortion storms in pregnant ruminants and sudden death in newborns. The disease provokes flu syndrome in most human cases, but also severe encephalitic or haemorrhagic forms and death. There is neither a treatment nor a vaccine for humans. The disease, historically confined to the African continent, recently spread to the Arabian Peninsula and Indian Ocean. Animal movements, legal or illegal, strongly contribute to viral spread, threatening the Mediterranean basin and Europe, where competent vectors are present. Given the unpredictability of virus introduction and uncertainties about RVF epidemiology, there is an urgent need to fill the scientific gaps by developing large regional research programmes, to build predictive models, and to implement early warning systems and surveillance designs adapted to northern African and European countries.

Reconstruction of Rift Valley fever transmission dynamics in Madagascar: estimation of force of infection from seroprevalence surveys using Bayesian modelling

“…Several mechanisms are likely involved in the persistence of RVFV: vertical transmission in mosquitoes, the existence of wild mammal reservoir populations, the maintenance of low level transmission associated with ruminant movements243536. While the existence of wild terrestrial mammals as reservoir of RVF in Madagascar is unlikely37, the vertical transmission has still to be considered.…”

Viral hemorrhagic fevers in the Tihamah region of the western Arabian Peninsula

“…RVF virus is transmitted by Culex and A . aegypti mosquitoes, resulting in large epizootics in livestock, which causes abortion in pregnant ruminants and rapid death in neonates [49]. Humans are incidentally infected when they are bitten by infected mosquitoes, come into contact with aborted or infected animal tissues, or drink unpasteurized milk.…”

“…Humans are incidentally infected when they are bitten by infected mosquitoes, come into contact with aborted or infected animal tissues, or drink unpasteurized milk. It is also a potential bioterrorism agent [49]. Humans suffering from RVF experience influenza-like symptoms that after the initial febrile stage, in some cases, can develop into hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, and death [49].…”

“…It is also a potential bioterrorism agent [49]. Humans suffering from RVF experience influenza-like symptoms that after the initial febrile stage, in some cases, can develop into hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, and death [49]. …”

Simulation Modelling of Population Dynamics of Mosquito Vectors for Rift Valley Fever Virus in a Disease Epidemic Setting

“…The viruses use arthropod vectors such as mosquitoes and sand flies for infection transfer to livestock and humans [1]. Since its first description in 1930 in Kenya [2], [3], the virus has occurred as epidemic disease in Sub-Saharan Africa primarily in eastern and southern Africa, North Africa, Arabian Peninsula and Madagascar [4], [5] and poses a potential threat to Europe [6]. In all recorded epidemics, the disease had socio-economic impact due to high animal and human morbidity and mortality.…”