Use of Reassortant Viruses to Map Attenuating and Temperature-Sensitive Mutationsof the Rift Valley Fever Virus MP-12 Vaccine

摘要

Rift Valley fever is an economically important, arthropodborne disease affectingdomestic animals as well as man Until 1977, the disease had been described only in sub-Saharan Africa, where it caused periodic epizootics associated with a high frequency of abortion in infected sheep, cattle and goats, and of death in young animals. Human disease was also observed in the course of these epizootics and although usually reported as a dengue-like, self-limited febrile illness, ocular complications were observed during an epidemic in South Africa in 1951, and haemorrhagic fever and encephalitis were observed during an epidemic in that country in 1975. In 1977-1978, epizootic disease occurred in Egypt, which represented an extension into a new geographic and ecologic area, and extensive human involvement with numerous fatalities occurred. These fatalities were the result of haemorrhagic or encephalitic syndromes. More recently, an extensive Rift Valley fever outbreak has occurred in Southern Mauritania which was also accompanied by severe and fatal disease in man. (js)