title: Comparison of Rift Valley fever virus replication in North American livestock and wildlife cell lines.
abstract: Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) causes disease outbreaks across Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, resulting in high morbidity and mortality among young domestic livestock, frequent abortions in pregnant animals, and potentially severe or fatal disease in humans. The possibility of RVFV spreading to the United States or other countries worldwide is of significant concern to animal and public health, livestock production, and trade. The mechanism for persistence of RVFV during inter-epidemic periods may be through mosquito transovarial transmission and/or by means of a wildlife reservoir. Field investigations in endemic areas and previous in vivo studies have demonstrated that RVFV can infect a wide range of animals, including indigenous wild ruminants of Africa. Yet no predominant wildlife reservoir has been identified, and gaps in our knowledge of RVFV permissive hosts still remain. In North America, domestic goats, sheep, and cattle are susceptible hosts for RVFV and several competent vectors exist. Wild ruminants such as deer might serve as a virus reservoir and given their abundance, wide distribution, and overlap with livestock farms and human populated areas could represent an important risk factor. The objective of this study was to assess a variety of cell lines derived from North American livestock and wildlife for susceptibility and permissiveness to RVFV. Results of this study suggest that RVFV could potentially replicate in native deer species such as white-tailed deer, and possibly a wide range of non-ruminant animals. This work serves to guide and support future animal model studies and risk model assessment regarding this high-consequence zoonotic pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture Manhattan, KS, USA.
authors.forename: Natasha N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Gaudreault
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University Manhattan, KS, USA.
authors.forename: Sabarish V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Indran
authors.affiliation: Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture Manhattan, KS, USA.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University Manhattan, KS, USA.
authors.forename: Juergen A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Richt
authors.affiliation: Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture Manhattan, KS, USA.
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Wilson
keywords: Rift Valley fever virus; livestock diseases; permissiveness; virus replication; wildlife reservoir