The distribution of seroprevalence (% individuals seropositive) for Rift Valley fever virus by species and decade in African countries, 1968–2016 (year study was conducted).

<p>The distribution of seroprevalence (% individuals seropositive) for Rift Valley fever virus by species and decade in African countries, 1968–2016 (year study was conducted).</p

RVFV seroprevalence studies conducted in livestock, humans or wildlife concurrently.

<p>RVFV seroprevalence studies conducted in livestock, humans or wildlife concurrently.</p

Flowchart for the systematic review to identify eligible studies of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) seroprevalence in Africa.

<p>Flowchart for the systematic review to identify eligible studies of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) seroprevalence in Africa.</p

Number of Rift Valley fever virus seroprevalence articles in Africa accounting for risk of bias outlined in the STROBE statement.

<p>Number of Rift Valley fever virus seroprevalence articles in Africa accounting for risk of bias outlined in the STROBE statement.</p

Number of studies on livestock in Africa identifying potential risk factors as significantly associated seropositivity for Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV).

<p>Number of studies on livestock in Africa identifying potential risk factors as significantly associated seropositivity for Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV).</p

Number of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) seroprevalence studies conducted in African countries by year study was conducted.

<p>Number of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) seroprevalence studies conducted in African countries by year study was conducted.</p

Systematic literature review of Rift Valley fever virus seroprevalence in livestock, wildlife and humans in Africa from 1968 to 2016 - Fig 5

<p>Reported seroprevalence (% individuals seropositive) of Rift Valley fever virus in (A) cattle, (B) sheep, (C) goats, (D) camels, (E) humans and (F) wildlife in African countries, during 1968–2016 (year study was conducted). Symbols indicate whether studies were reported as being carried out during outbreaks (filled yellow squares), immediately after outbreaks (filled back diamonds) or during inter-epidemic periods (filled blue circles).</p

Number of eligible articles in humans in Africa identifying potential risk factors as significantly associated with seropositivity for Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) in final statistical model.

<p>Number of eligible articles in humans in Africa identifying potential risk factors as significantly associated with seropositivity for Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) in final statistical model.</p

Real Time RT-PCR Assays for Detection and Typing of African Horse Sickness Virus

<div><p>Although African horse sickness (AHS) can cause up to 95% mortality in horses, naïve animals can be protected by vaccination against the homologous AHSV serotype. Genome segment 2 (Seg-2) encodes outer capsid protein VP2, the most variable of the AHSV proteins. VP2 is also a primary target for AHSV specific neutralising antibodies, and consequently determines the identity of the nine AHSV serotypes. In contrast VP1 (the viral polymerase) and VP3 (the sub-core shell protein), encoded by Seg-1 and Seg-3 respectively, are highly conserved, representing virus species/orbivirus-serogroup-specific antigens. We report development and evaluation of real-time RT-PCR assays targeting AHSV Seg-1 or Seg-3, that can detect any AHSV type (virus species/serogroup-specific assays), as well as type-specific assays targeting Seg-2 of the nine AHSV serotypes. These assays were evaluated using isolates of different AHSV serotypes and other closely related orbiviruses, from the ‘Orbivirus Reference Collection’ (ORC) at The Pirbright Institute. The assays were shown to be AHSV virus-species-specific, or type-specific (as designed) and can be used for rapid, sensitive and reliable detection and identification (typing) of AHSV RNA in infected blood, tissue samples, homogenised <i>Culicoides</i>, or tissue culture supernatant. None of the assays amplified cDNAs from closely related heterologous orbiviruses, or from uninfected host animals or cell cultures.</p></div

Sequence data used to design real time RT-PCR assays.

<p>*Isolates sequenced as part of this study.</p>1<p>Set of nine monotypic AHSV reference strains (Bachanek-Bankowska et al – in preparation).</p>2<p>Orbivirus reference collection (ORC), The Pirbright Institute.</p