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.
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© 1981 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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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
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-6895-1_12
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