Molecular Biology of Rift Valley Fever Virus
Michele Bouloy1, Friedemann Weber*, 2
1 Unite de Genetique Moleculaire des Bunyavirus, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
2 Department of Virology, University of Freiburg, D-79008 Freiburg, Germany
Abstract
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) causes large outbreaks of acute febrile and often fatal illness among humans and domesticated animals in sub-saharan Africa and the Arabian peninsula. RVFV is a member of the family Bunyaviridae, genus Phlebovirus. Like all members of this large virus family, it contains a three-segmented genome of negative/ambisense strand RNA, packaged into viral nucleocapsid protein, and enveloped by a lipid bilayer containing two viral glycoproteins. During the past years, there was an increased interest in RVFV epidemiology, molecular biology, and virulence mechanisms. Here, we will try to provide an overview over the basic features of this significant pathogen, and review the latest developments in this highly active research field.
Keywords: Rift Valley fever, reverse genetics, non-structural proteins, interferon antagonism..
Article Information
Article History:
Received Date: 4/11/2009
Revision Received Date: 25/11/2009
Acceptance Date: 25/11/2009
Electronic publication date: 22/04/2010
Collection year: 2010
© Bouloy and Weber; Licensee Bentham Open.
open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
* Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Virology, University of Freiburg, D-79008 Freiburg, Germany; Tel: +49-761-203-6614; Fax: +49-761-203-6634; E-mail: friedemann.weber@uniklinik-freiburg.de
Open Peer Review Details |
Manuscript submitted on 4-11-2009 |
Original Manuscript |
Molecular Biology of Rift Valley Fever Virus |