Vaccine Development for Rift Valley Fever Virus

As no vaccine currently exists for any bunyaviruses in humans, it is very important to dedicate efforts towards vaccine development. Rift valley fever virus (RVFV) is a re-emerging zoonotic bunyavirus in the Phlebovirus genus. There are two potential vaccines against the virus that contain deletions in the S segment of the genome, modifying the expression of the NS protein, which confers virulence. The older R566 vaccine contains virus with the S, M, and L segments modified. The newer vaccine also contains a deletion of the entire M segment. The two vaccines were compared in a trail with lambs who were vaccinated and later exposed to the virus. The newer vaccine was shown to completely prevent viremia and clinical manifestations of disease, suggesting that it has potential to be a more effective vaccine in the future.

"Comparative efficacy of two next-generation Rift Valley fever vaccines." Kortekaas et al. Vaccine. Volume 32, Issue 39, Pages 4901-4908.

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