Studies On Rift Valley Fever Virus

In an attempt to study the distribution of RVF virus in sera and organs of experimentally inoculated pregnant and non pz-egnarrt as wall as con’tac t sheep, fif- teen animals were used fo:t:’ this purpose. Three of these animals were kept as oontact exposculated with a dose of 1 ml ranging from 105 - 107 TCID50 / m.l ef the ”Zagazig strain”. The animals ware observed daily for clinical r:c.anifestations and abortions till 60 DPI. Samples were collected at different intervals for virus assay and serooonver”varying from 40°C - 41.9°C beside th~ classical signs of RVF virus infection in sheep. Abortions occurred in five out of eight Lnocul.ated pree:,nant ewes at different stagesof gesta.tion period n.nd recorded between 5 and 19 DPI. One >non pregnant ewe succumbed ~t the 4th DPI. 2) On secrifying the infected sheep at aifferent inter- vals, the most prominent post-mortum changes were seen till 13 DPI and were mainly noticed in