Abstract
Rift Valley fever is a zoonosis caused by an insect-borne virus which until recently had only been recorded in the sub-Saharan region of the African continent. It is transmitted by mosquitoes of several genera and produces abortions in pregnant animals and deaths in the very young. Cattle, sheep and goats are the principal disease hosts. Affected animals show characteristic widespread liver necrosis. The disease tends to occur in epizootics which follow periods of heavy and prolonged rainfall. These may be separated by intervals of up to 15 years.
The virus also affects humans causing fatalities. The disease is characterized by a diphasic temperature rise accompanied by signs related to the hepatic necrosis. Retinitis and encephalitis are common complications; hemorrhagic complications are generally fatal.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Addy PK, Tukei PM: The immune status of East African bats to arboviruses. Proc 4th Int Bat Res Conf, Nairobi, 1975.
Coakley W, Pini, A, Gosden D: Experimental infection of cattle with pantropic Rift Valley fever virus. Res Vet Sci 8: 399–405, 1967a.
Coakley W, Pini A, Gosden D: The immunity induced in cattle and sheep by inoculation of neurotropic or pantropic Rift Valley fever viruses. Res Vet Sci 8: 405–414, 1967b.
Daubney R, Hudson JR, Garnham PCC: Enzootic hepatitis or Rift Valley fever.distribution in Southern Africa. Unpu cattle and man from East Africa. J Path Bact 34: 545-579, 1931.
Davies FG, Clausen B, Lund LJ: The pathogenicity of Rift Valley fever virus for Papio anubis (Olive baboon). Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 66: 363–365, 1972.
Davies FG: Observations on the epidemiology of Rift Valley fever in Kenya. J Hyg Camb 75: 219–230, 1975.
Davies FG, Onyango E: Rift Valley fever. The role of the vervet monkey as a reservoir or maintenance host for this virus. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 72: 213-214, 1978.
Davies FG, Addy PK: Rift Valley fever. A survey for antibody to the virus in bird species commonly found in situations considered to be enzootic. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 73: 584–585, 1979.
Davies FG, Highton RB: Possible vectors of Rift Valley Fever During Epizootics in Kenya. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 74: 815–816, 1980.
Easterday BC: Rift Valley fever. Adv Vet Sci 10: 65–127, 1965.
Haig DA, Kaschula VR, Alexander RA: Studies on Rift Valley fever in South Africa. 1. Some properties of the pantropic virus and a report of a survey made of its
distribution in Southern Africa. Unpublished report, cited by Kaschula (1953). Henderson BE, McCrae AWR, Kirya BG, Ssenkubuge Y, Sempala SDK: Arbovirus
epizootics involving man, mosquotoes and vertebrates at Lynyo, Uganda. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 66: 343–355, 1972.
Maurice Y, Provost A: Serological investigations of animal arboviruses in Central Africa. Rev Elev Med Vet Pays Trop 22: 179–184, 1969.
McIntosh BM: Rift Valley Fever. 1. Vector studies in the field. J S Afr Vet Assoc 43: 391–395, 1972.
Mims CA, Mason PJ: Rift Valley fever virus in mice. V. The properties of a hemag- glutinin present in infective serum. Br J Exp Pathol 37: 423–433, 1956.
Pini A, Lund LJ, Davies FG: Detection of Rift Valley fever virus by the fluorescent antibody technique in organs of experimentally infected animals. Res Vet Sci 11: 82–85, 1970.
Pini A, Lund LJ, Davies FG: Fluorescent neutralizing antibody response to infection by Rift Valley fever virus. J S Afr Vet Assoc 44: 161–165, 1973.
Scott GR, Weddell W, Reid D: Preliminary findings on the prevalence of Rift Valley fever in Kenya cattle. Bull Epizoot Dis Afr 4: 17–25, 1956.
Scott GR: Pigs and Rift Valley fever. Nature 200: 919–920, 1963.
Scott GR, Heisch RB: Rift Valley fever and Rift Valley rodents. East Afr. Med J 665–667, 1959.
Scott GR, Coakley W, Roach RW, Cowdy NR: Rift Valley Fever in Camels. J Path Bact 86: 229–231, 1963.
Smithburn KC, Haddow AJ, Gillet JD: Rift Valley Fever, the Isolation of the Virus from Wild Caught Mosquitoes. Br J Exp Pathol 29: 107–121, 1948.
Weiss KE: Studies on Rift Valley Fever. Passive and Active Immunity in Lambs. Ond J Vet Res 29: 107–121, 1962.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1981 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Davies, F.G. (1981). Rift Valley Fever. In: Ristic, M., McIntyre, I. (eds) Diseases of Cattle in the Tropics. Current Topics in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, vol 6. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-6895-1_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-6895-1_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-247-2495-6
Online ISBN: 978-94-015-6895-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive