Authors : I.E. Aradaib , A.E. Karrar , M.A. Al-Dubaib , H.A. Musa , S.K. Kafi , A. El-Kadarou , A. Ashmaig and H.H. Abu-Aisha
Abstract: A Reverse Transcriptase (RT) Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)-based assay was developed and evaluated for detection of Rift Valley Fever Virus (RVFV) ribonucleic acid (RNA). A pairs of oligoribonucleotide primers (RVFV1 and RVFV2), selected from the Small (S) RNA genome segment of RVFV virus, were designed and used as a target for PCR amplification. The primers RVFV1 and RVFV2 resulted in amplification of a primary 490 base pair (bp) PCR product. The PCR products were amplified from RNAs extracted from RVFV field isolates and vaccine strains, propagated in Vero cell cultures. Amplification products were not detected when the RT-PCR-based assay was applied to RNA from other related hemorrhagic fevers viruses including, Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF); dengue virus; epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus and total nucleic acid extracts from uninfected Vero cells. The described RT-PCR-based assay provides a rapid, sensitive and specific assay for detection of RVFV in cell culture and should be recommended for inclusion during an outbreak of the disease among humans and susceptible livestock.
I.E. Aradaib , A.E. Karrar , M.A. Al-Dubaib , H.A. Musa , S.K. Kafi , A. El-Kadarou , A. Ashmaig and H.H. Abu-Aisha , 2008. Hemorrhagic Fever Caused by Rift Valley Fever Virus: Rapid Detection Based on Viral Small (S) RNA Genome Segment . International Journal of Tropical Medicine, 3: 5-9.