Rift Valley Fever Virus Non-Structural Protein S Is Associated with Nuclear Translocation of Active Caspase-3 and Inclusion Body Formation.

Rift Valley fever phlebovirus (RVFV) causes Rift Valley fever (RVF), an emerging zoonotic disease that causes abortion storms and high mortality rates in young ruminants as well as severe or even lethal complications in a subset of human patients. This study investigates the pathomechanism of intranuclear inclusion body formation in severe RVF in a mouse model. Liver samples from immunocompetent mice infected with virulent RVFV 35/74, and immunodeficient knockout mice that lack interferon type I receptor expression and were infected with attenuated RVFV MP12 were compared to livers from uninfected controls using histopathology and immunohistochemistry for RVFV nucleoprotein, non-structural protein S (NSs) and pro-apoptotic active caspase-3.

Diagnosis and Pathogenesis of Nairobi Sheep Disease Orthonairovirus Infections in Sheep and Cattle.

Nairobi sheep disease orthonairovirus (NSDV) is a zoonotic tick-borne arbovirus, which causes severe gastroenteritis in small ruminants. To date, the virus is prevalent in East Africa and Asia. However, due to climate change, including the spread of transmitting tick vectors and increased animal movements, it is likely that the distribution range of NSDV is enlarging.

Rift Valley fever virus detection in susceptible hosts with special emphasis in insects.

Rift Valley fever phlebovirus (RVFV, Phenuiviridae) is an emerging arbovirus that can cause potentially fatal disease in many host species including ruminants and humans. Thus, tools to detect this pathogen within tissue samples from routine diagnostic investigations or for research purposes are of major interest. This study compares the immunohistological usefulness of several mono- and polyclonal antibodies against RVFV epitopes in tissue samples derived from natural hosts of epidemiologic importance (sheep), potentially virus transmitting insect species (Culex quinquefasciatus, Aedes aegypti) as well as scientific infection models (mouse, Drosophila melanogaster, C6/36 cell pellet).

Vaccine Efficacy of Self-Assembled Multimeric Protein Scaffold Particles Displaying the Glycoprotein Gn Head Domain of Rift Valley Fever Virus.

Compared to free antigens, antigens immobilized on scaffolds, such as nanoparticles, generally show improved immunogenicity. Conventionally, antigens are conjugated to scaffolds through genetic fusion or chemical conjugation, which may result in impaired assembly or heterogeneous binding and orientation of the antigens. By combining two emerging technologies-i.

Two monoclonal antibodies against glycoprotein Gn protect mice from Rift Valley Fever challenge by cooperative effects.

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a zoonotic arbovirus that causes severe disease in humans and ruminants. The infection is characterized by abortions in pregnant animals, high mortality in neonates as well as febrile illness in humans that develop in 1% of cases encephalitis or hemorrhagic fever. There is presently no specific antiviral treatment for RVFV infection available.