Summary

Rift Valley fever (RVF), an emerging mosquito-borne zoonotic infectious viral disease caused by the RVF virus (RVFV) (Bunyaviridae: Phlebovirus), presents significant threats to global public health and agriculture in Africa and Arabian Peninsula. However, routine surveillance for RVFV in African countries is limited and outbreaks are underreported. RVFV has caused large, devastating periodic epizootics and epidemics in Africa over the past ∼60 years, with severe economic and nutritional impacts on humans from illness and livestock loss. Transmission occurs via mosquito vectors including the Aedes and Culex species. The virus causes outbreaks of abortion and death of young livestock (most commonly sheep, goats, and cattle).

RVF is a long-recognized veterinary disease of livestock in Africa. Infection with RVFV causes a highly lethal illness in domesticated livestock that consequently has direct economic impacts in affected regions. RVF has been and remains on the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)’s list of notifiable animal diseases of concern5 and overlap select agent by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The aims of this study are:

1/ To assess the RVF sero-prevalence in cattle in specific area in Zimbabwe.

2/ To characterize which RVF strains circulate in Zimbabwe

Main Objective

This project will conduct a surveillance study of the prevalence of the RVF in domesticated animals (including cattle, sheep and goats) in Zimbabwe, in particular, in the Zambezi Valley. RVFV is easily transmitted to animals in environments such as the Zambezi Valley, where the climate and the geography are ideal for mosquitos to breed. Consequently, the probability of animals becoming infected is high. The Zambezi Valley in Zimbabwe borders Mozambique and Zambia. It is known that RVF is endemic in these three countries, however, though data of outbreaks have been published for Mozambique and Zambia, there is little data available in the literature for Zimbabwe.

There is also evidence that there is low awareness of zoonoses, including RVF, in the region, placing at risk the population of contracting these diseases. Surveillance studies, should therefore focus on livestock-wildlife interface areas.