Rift Valley Fever: Does Wildlife Play a Role?

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Virology
• Wildlife Ecology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) causes sporadic epizootics and epidemics.
• The virus is vector-borne and has multi-year inter-epidemic periods.
• RVFV's epidemiology and ecology during quiescent periods are poorly understood, with no identified mammalian reservoir host.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize existing research on RVFV in wildlife, particularly during inter-epidemic periods.
• To identify research gaps concerning RVFV infection in wild ruminants.
• To inform future research directions for understanding RVFV's low-level circulation.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of serosurveys.
• Review of viral detection attempts in wildlife.
• Synthesis of experimental wildlife infection studies.

Main Results:

• Significant gaps exist in research on RVF in wild ruminants.
• Limited published data on RVFV pathogenicity in various wildlife species.
• Lack of validated diagnostic assays for RVFV exposure in wildlife and understanding of disease dynamics.

Conclusions:

• Further systematic research is crucial to understand RVFV's low-level cycling in wild ruminants during inter-epidemic periods.
• Investigating pathogenicity, diagnostic assay validation, and disease dynamics in wildlife is recommended.
• Identifying a specific mammalian reservoir host for RVFV remains a critical research need.