Aggiornamento sulla Rift Valley fever

Abstract: Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an arthropod-borne viral zoonotic disease of ruminants, camels and humans, distributed in sub-Saharan African countries, Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula [Anyamba et al. 2009, Gerdes 2004]. The disease is caused by the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) belonging to the family Bunyaviridae and the genus Phlebovirus [Ikegami et al. 2011]. In animals, RVF may be asymptomatic in non-pregnant adults. Outbreaks are characterised by the onset of abortions storms and high neonatal mortality. Older animals can present hight fever, lymphadenitis, nasal and ocular discharges, diarrhoea often haemorrhagic, jaundice and hepatitis [Gerdes 2004, Davies et al. 2006]. RVFV infection in humans usually causes a self-limiting, acute and febrile illness; however, a small number of patients may present acute hepatitis, jaundice, renal failure, haemorrhagic syndrome and neurological disorders [Adam et al. 2010, Mansfield et al. 2015]. Based on a literature review, we have updated the RVF epidemiological situation, the measures of prevention and control and evaluated the risk of RVFV entering into Europe