Project Number: 5430-32000-005-04
Project Type: Nonfunded Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Oct 01, 2011
End Date: Sep 30, 2013

Objective:
To generate multiple monoclonal antibodies against RVFV antigens Gn, N and NSs that can be used in (a) Research and development of antigen detection and quantitation assays; (b) Reagents for other serological assays; (c) Research to characterize the immunological response to RVFV; and (d) Technical transfer to commercial firms engaged in development of diagnostic and vaccine projects.

Approach:
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a zoonotic insect transmitted virus endemic to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Virus infection causes abortions and high mortality in newborn ruminants. Humans can become infected through handling infected animals and animal products. Severe infections can include ocular disease, meningoencephalitis, or hemorrhagic fever with an overall case fatality rate of <1. Panels of monoclonal antibodies are needed to facilite development of safe diagnostic assays. An anti-recombinant RVFV- nucleocapsid (N) polyclonal antibody was produced by ABADRU to develop an immunohistochemical (IHC) assay. Multiple ELISA assays have been developed based on a mouse anti-RVF MP-12 vaccine strain polyclonal antibody. A robust set of capture and detect monoclonal antibodies will be necessary to continue development of these assays and to make reagents available for international standardization of diagnostic tests and potential further test kit development (commercialization). Once validated and approved by national regulatory agencies, these reagents and assays will be useful to national laboratories as initial diagnostic tests (and validated against virus isolation). These assay reagents could be safely produced and distributed to regional diagnostic laboratories, thus providing capacity for early detection of RVFV in suspected ruminant samples.