Preventing Rift Valley Fever in Humans

SLU ID 19-033 | Inhibitors of Rift Valley Fever Virus Replication

Background

Rift Valley Fever Virus is an enveloped virus with a segmented, negative-polarity, single-stranded RNA genome within the Bunyaviridae family. It is traditionally endemic in eastern and southern Africa but has recently expanded in range to essentially all of sub-Saharan Africa. It is a serious veterinary pathogen trasmitted to animals by mosquitos. Though human-human transmission is rare, humans can be infected by contact with infected animal body fluids or tissues. In animals, Rift Valley Fever Virus causes disease including fever, hemorrhage, diarrhea, death, and spontaneous abortion and can reach epidemic proportions, particularly in especially rainy years. In humans, Rift Valley Fever Virus is primarily asymptomatic or may cause mild fever with hepatic involvement, however, 8-10% of infections are severe, where symptoms can include lesions to the eye causing blindness, encephalitis, gastrointestinal dysfunction, jaundice, hemorrhagic fever, and partial paralysis among others. Rift Valley Fever Virus is among a group of emerging viral pathogens for which there are insufficient or inadequate medical treatments, or pipelines to develop them, that were highlighted in the 2018 World Health Organization research and development blueprint for high priority targets. Additionally, Rift Valley Fever Virus is listed by th eAmerican fovernment as slect agents of significant concern as biowarfare threats. Currently, there is a cure for Rift Valley Fever Virus in animals, but treatment in humans is limited to medical support.

Overview

Researchers at Saint Louis University have developed a cell culture that blocks viral replication at concentrations far below their cytotoxicity levels to be used in drug development. Data is available from in vitro studies.

Benefits

The potential benefits of this technology include:

• Expand drug coverage from animals to humans

• Minimize viral replication

• Minimize viral epidemics

• Optimize animal safety

Applications

Potential applications of this technology include:

• Rift Valley Fever Virus drug discovery

Opportunity

Saint Louis University is seeking partners to further develop and commercialize this technology.

Patents

References

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