Incorporation of antigens from whole cell lysates and purified virions from MP12 into fluorescence microsphere immunoassays for the detection of antibodies against Rift Valley fever virus

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a zoonotic virus belonging to the genus Phlebovirus and one of the five genera in the family Bunyaviridae. In ruminants, the disease is characterized by abortions, fetal deformities, and high mortality rates. Humans are also readily infected through aerosols from infected animals or by exposure to infected animal tissues, aborted foetuses, and from infected mosquitoes. 

RVFV is transmitted among ruminants and humans by direct contact with infectious tissues or by the bites of infected mosquito species of the Aedes and Culex genuses. Global warming has certainly had a great impact on the transmission patterns of RVF. Since the first outbreak in 1930, the geographical distribution of the virus has been expanded to several countries of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Now, there are growing concerns of the continued spread of RVF to other parts of the world, including the United States and European Union.