title: Pathologic studies on suspect animal and human cases of Rift Valley fever from an outbreak in Eastern Africa, 2006-2007.
abstract: Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an important viral zoonotic disease in Africa with periodic outbreaks associated with severe disease, death, and economic hardship. During the 2006-2007 outbreaks in Eastern Africa, postmortem and necropsy tissue samples from 14 animals and 20 humans clinically suspected of RVF were studied with histopathologic evaluation and immunohistochemical (IHC) assays. Six animal and 11 human samples had IHC evidence of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) antigens. We found that extensive hepatocellular necrosis without prominent inflammatory cell infiltrates is the most distinctive histopathologic change in liver tissues infected with RVFV. Pathologic studies on postmortem tissue samples can help establish the diagnosis of RVF, differentiating from endemic diseases with clinical manifestations similar to RVF, such as malaria, leptospirosis, or yellow fever.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Pathology Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. wshieh@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Wun-Ju
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Shieh
authors.forename: Chris D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Paddock
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lederman
authors.forename: Carol Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: L Hannah
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Fausta
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mosha
authors.forename: Janeth
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mghamba
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bloland
authors.forename: M Kariuki
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Njenga
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mutonga
authors.forename: Amwayi A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Samuel
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guarner
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Breiman
authors.forename: Sherif R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Zaki
mesh_terms: D000351:Africa, Eastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D012295:Rift Valley Fever / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000662:veterinary; D012296:Rift Valley fever virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral