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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
Related
mosquito borne infection
General
phlebovirus
Properties
KINGDOM: virus
GENOME-TYPE: RNA
SINGLE-STRANDED
NEGATIVE-STRAND
CIRCULAR
GENOME-SIZE: 13-21 kB
ENVELOPE: PRESENT
CAPSID-SYMMETRY: HELICAL
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Rift Valley Fever. Fact Sheet.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/Fact_Sheets/Rift%20Valley%20Fever%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf