Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

New genetically engineered vaccines target Rift Valley fever

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from the University of California, Davis, and elsewhere are reporting the development of two genetically engineered vaccines to combat the mosquito-borne Rift Valley fever, devastating to livestock ...

Medical research

Building a better Rift Valley fever vaccine

University of Texas Medical Branch researchers have significantly improved an existing experimental vaccine for Rift Valley fever virus, making possible the development of a more effective defense against the dangerous mosquito-borne ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Infection mechanism of Rift Valley fever virus identified

Rift Valley fever virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, is responsible for outbreaks in livestock in Africa and can also be fatal in humans. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS, working with the University of Göttingen, ...

Medical research

Discovery advances fight against phleboviruses

(Medical Xpress)—Researchers in the Life Sciences Institute at the University of Michigan have discovered how a particular type of virus hides and protects its genetic information from the immune system, a design that allows ...

page 1 from 3

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a viral zoonosis (affects primarily domestic livestock, but can be passed to humans) causing fever. It is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes, typically the Aedes or Culex genera. The disease is caused by the RVF virus, a member of the genus Phlebovirus (family Bunyaviridae). The disease was first reported among livestock in Kenya around 1915, but the virus was not isolated until 1931. RVF outbreaks occur across sub-Saharan Africa, with outbreaks occurring elsewhere infrequently, but sometimes severely. In Egypt in 1977-78, several million people were infected and thousands died during a violent epidemic. In Kenya in 1998, the virus claimed the lives of over 400 Kenyans. In September 2000, an outbreak was confirmed in Saudi Arabia and Yemen). On 19 Oct 2011, the first confirmed human case of Rift Valley fever contracted in Zimbabwe was reported in a Caucasian female traveler who returned to France after a 26-day stay in Marondera, Mashonaland East Province during July and August, 2011.

This text uses material from Wikipedia licensed under CC BY-SA