Application of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction for detection of Rift Valley Fever viral antigen from...

A reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was applied to detect Rift Valley Fever Virus (RVFV) in Culex pipiens mosquito pools collected from Alexandria and Behira governorates of Egypt (50 pools each). All mosquito pools were subjected to double sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique to detect RVF viral antigen. Out of all 100 mosquito pools, only 18(18%) were positive by ELISA, 10(20%) out of 50 pools were positive in Behira governorate and 8(16%) were positive in Alexandria governorate. All positive samples (18) in addition to two negative samples (one was used as a negative control and the other was used as a positive control after addition of 1.0 ml. of 103 inactivated RVF virus) were subjected to RT-PCR. Out of these 18 positive samples by ELISA, only 7(38.89%) were positive for RVF Virus by RT-PCR. These results gave the possibilities of existence of other phleboviruses that cross react with RVF Virus.