<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a zoonotic virus classified as category A priority pathogen. Rift Valley fever (RVF) has been poorly investigated in Nigeria with the infection among Nigerians last reported in 1996. Two hundred (200) febrile subjects with symptoms of malaria attending local hospitals in Ilorin, Nigeria were investigated for malaria, malaria positive subjects were investigated for the presence of RVF. Malaria screening was done using <italic>Carestart</italic><sup>TM</sup> malaria HRP2(pf), while RVF antibodies were tested for using anti-RVF IgM ELISA. Molecular identification of the viral genome was carried out using RNA extraction (QIAGEN) and quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR). Of the 200 subjects tested for malaria infection, 93 (46.5%) were positive, while 20 (21.5%) of the 93 subjects were seropositive for RVF. RVF virus genome was found in 5 (25%) of the 20 positive subjects. The high prevalence of RVF among malaria positive subjects show that there is a risk of a RVF outbreak if its prevalence remains unchecked.</p></abstract>

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a zoonotic virus classified as category A priority pathogen. Rift Valley fever (RVF) has been poorly investigated in Nigeria with the infection among Nigerians last reported in 1996. Two hundred (200) febrile subjects with symptoms of malaria attending local hospitals in Ilorin, Nigeria were investigated for malaria, malaria positive subjects were investigated for the presence of RVF. Malaria screening was done using CarestartTM malaria HRP2(pf), while RVF antibodies were tested for using anti-RVF IgM ELISA. Molecular identification of the viral genome was carried out using RNA extraction (QIAGEN) and quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR). Of the 200 subjects tested for malaria infection, 93 (46.5%) were positive, while 20 (21.5%) of the 93 subjects were seropositive for RVF. RVF virus genome was found in 5 (25%) of the 20 positive subjects. The high prevalence of RVF among malaria positive subjects show that there is a risk of a RVF outbreak if its prevalence remains unchecked.

Prevalence of Rift Valley Fever Virus in Febrile Malaria Patients using Serological and Molecular-based Evidence

University of Ilorin Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology, Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences

Annals of Science and Technology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a zoonotic virus classified as category A priority pathogen. Rift Valley fever (RVF) has been poorly investigated in Nigeria...

Prevalence of Rift Valley Fever Virus in Febrile Malaria Patients using Serological and Molecular-based Evidence

Published Online: Aug 29, 2018

Page range: 1 - 6

Received: Dec 18, 2017

Accepted: Jan 12, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ast-2018-0008

Keywords
Rift valley fever, Malaria, Epidemiology, Risk factors

© 2018 Olatunji M. Kolawole et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Prevalence of Rift Valley Fever Virus in Febrile Malaria Patients using Serological and Molecular-based Evidence

Published Online: Aug 29, 2018

Page range: 1 - 6

Received: Dec 18, 2017

Accepted: Jan 12, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ast-2018-0008

KeywordsRift valley fever, Malaria, Epidemiology, Risk factors

© 2018 Olatunji M. Kolawole et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Rift valley fever, Malaria, Epidemiology, Risk factors