Rift Valley Fever Virus Antibody

Rift Valley Fever Virus Antibody: Rift Valley Fever (RFV) virus is an arthropod-borne virus endemic to Africa that infects humans and animals that is transmitted predominantly by mosquitoes. During human infections, symptoms can range from benign fever to severe encephalitis and fatal hepatitis with hemorrhagic fever. The Bunyaviridae family of viruses to which the RVF virus belongs are spherical enveloped viruses with a tripartite RNA genome of negative or ambisense polarity. The three segments are referred to as the L, M, and S segments. The L and M segments are negative polarity and code fore the L-dependent RNA polymerase and glycoprotein precursor respectively. The S segment is of ambisense polarity and encodes the nucleoprotein and non-structural proteins.

Rift Valley Fever Virus antibody can be stored at 4˚ C for three months and -20˚ C, stable for up to one year. As with all antibodies care should be taken to avoid repeated freeze thaw cycles. Antibodies should not be exposed to prolonged high temperatures.

This RVF virus antibody was derived from a peptide sequence near the carboxy terminus of the polyprotein precursor translated from the M segment. It will therefore detect both the precursor and the Glycoprotein G2.

Morrill JC and McClain DJ. Epidemiology and pathogenesis of the Rift Valley fever and other phleboviruses, p. 281-93 in H Fraenkel-Conrat and RR Wagner (ed.) The viruses. Plenum Press, New York, NY.

Giorgi C, Accardi L, Nicoletti M, et al. Sequences and coding strategies of the S RNAs of Toscana and Rift Valley fever viruses compared to those of Punta Toro, Sicilian sandfly fever, and Uukuniemi viruses. Virology1991; 180:738-53.