Classification: ICD-9 066.3; ICD-10 A92.4
Syndromes and synonyms: None.
Agent: Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), an enveloped, single-stranded tripartite RNA virus, belonging to the genus Phlebovirus of the family Bunyaviridae. There are three lineages: Egyptian, West African, and East-Central African. Zinga virus, isolated in 1982 in Madagascar, was later found to be a strain of RVFV.
Reservoir: Livestock (cattle, camels, goats, sheep), wild buffalo, waterbuck, some rodents.
Vector: Mosquitoes of the genera Aedes, Culex, Mansonia and others. There is transovarian transmission of RVFV in mosquitoes. Dried mosquito eggs can remain viable and infected for years. Originally, the eggs are laid in the damp soil above the water line and hatch when flooded.
Transmission: Human infections occur via two main transmission routes: (1) mosquito bite, and (2) direct or indirect contact with the blood or organs of infected animals (e.g. slaughtering, butchering, veterinary procedures, animal births, disposing of carcasses or fetuses) by percutaneous inoculation or inhaling aerosols. Transmission may be possible via consumption of raw milk of an infected animal. Person-to-person transmission has not been described. However, humans develop high viral loads in the blood, and may transmit virus to contacts.
Related posts:
Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel
Full access? Get Clinical Tree
