Department of Vector Assessment Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, MD 21702-5011, USA.
J Med Entomol. 2011 May;48(3):628-33. doi: 10.1603/me10219.
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) causes outbreaks of severe disease in domestic ungulates as well as humans in Africa. There is a logical concern that RVFV could be introduced into the Americas and cause significant health and economic damage based on the precedent of the introduction and spread of West Nile virus (WNV). Unfortunately, there are currently no licensed diagnostic assays available for RVFV in the Americas. In this work, we report on the ability of a novel dipstick assay, VectorTest RVFV antigen assay, modeled on the VecTest assay for WNV, to detect a RVFV-infected female within a pool of mosquitoes. The dipsticks provided results in <20 min, were easy to use, and did not require a laboratory with containment facilities. Although readily able to detect a mosquito with a disseminated RVFV infection, it only occasionally detected RVFV in a mosquito with a nondisseminated infection, and therefore may fail to detect some pools that actually contain one or more positive mosquitoes. The RVFV dipstick assay was highly specific and did not react with samples to which had been added yellow fever, West Nile, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, sandfly fever Naples, sandfly fever Sicilian, or sandfly fever Toscana viruses. The RVFV assay can provide a rapid, safe, easy-to-use assay to alert public health personnel to the presence of RVFV in mosquitoes. Results from this assay will allow a rapid threat assessment and the focusing of vector control measures in high-risk areas.
裂谷热病毒（RVFV）会在非洲的家畜和人类中引发严重疾病。人们合理地担心 RVFV 可能会传入美洲，并造成重大的健康和经济损失，因为西尼罗河病毒（WNV）的传入和传播就是先例。不幸的是，目前美洲还没有针对 RVFV 的许可诊断检测方法。在这项工作中，我们报告了一种新型的侧流检测试剂盒，即 VectorTest RVFV 抗原检测试剂盒，其设计模仿了针对 WNV 的 VecTest 检测试剂盒，用于检测蚊群中感染 RVFV 的雌性蚊子。这种侧流检测试剂盒可在<20 分钟内提供结果，使用方便，且不需要配备有防护设施的实验室。虽然它能够轻易地检测到已发生全身感染的蚊子，但偶尔也会漏检未发生全身感染的蚊子，因此可能会错过一些实际上含有一只或多只阳性蚊子的蚊群。RVFV 侧流检测试剂盒具有高度特异性，不会与添加了黄热病、西尼罗河、委内瑞拉马脑炎、那不勒斯斑疹热、西西里斑疹热或托斯卡纳斑疹热病毒的样本发生反应。RVFV 检测试剂盒可提供一种快速、安全、易于使用的检测方法，以提醒公共卫生人员蚊群中存在 RVFV。该检测方法的结果将有助于快速进行威胁评估，并集中在高风险地区开展病媒控制措施。
