Table 9.
Animal models of RVFV
| Species | Animal model | Strains | Max. Dose | Route | Lethality | Signs of disease | Strengths/Weaknesses | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mice | BALB/c mice | ZH501 | 103 PFU | SC/IP | 100% | Scuffled fur, lethargy, shivers, weight loss, hepatitis/hepatic necrosis, meningoencephalitis | Typical clinical symptoms/No hemorrhagic fever and ocular diseases | 577,578 |
| ZH548 | 2 × 104 PFU | IP | <100% | 579 | ||||
| Rat | Sprague Dawley rats | ZH501 | 103 PFU | SC/Aerosol/Conjunctival | 70% | Uvea, retina, and optic nerve infection, inflammation in the posterior eye | Mimicking ocular disease, encephalitis, hepatic necrosis and pneumonia in human RVF/- | 917 |
| Wistar-Furth | ZH501 | 105.7 PFU | SC | 100% | Hepatic necrosis, pneumonia, lethal encephalitis | 918 | ||
| Lewis | ZH501 | 105.7 PFU | SC | 16% | ||||
| MAXX rats | 44% | |||||||
| Hamster | Syrian hamsters | ZH501 | 5×103 PFU | IP | 100% | Progressive viremia and hepatic necrosis | Highly susceptible to RVFV/Lack of encephalitis | 590 |
| Ferret | Ferret | ZH501 | 106 TCID50 | IN/ID |
IN: >70% ID: 0 |
Mild self-limited febrile illness and later-onset severe encephalitis. | Mimicking RVFV CNS disease in humans/No hepatitis | 564 |
| Nonhuman primates | Rhesus monkeys | ZH501 | 105 PFU | IV | 18% | Lethal hemorrhagic fever, anorexia, sadness, vomiting, and weakness | Highly susceptible to RVFV/Disease ranged from clinically inapparent to death | 919 |
| Marmosets | ZH501 | 107 PFU | SC/IV/IN/Aerosol | 25–100% | Acute hepatitis, delayed encephalitis, and hemorrhagic illness | More closely resembles severe human RVF disease/Symptoms of disease are related to challenge route | 920 | |
| African green monkeys | ZH501 | 105.86 PFU | Aerosol | 80% | Viral meningitis, formed blood clots, and death | Mimic natural human infections/inaccessibility, ethical issues | 920 | |
| Cynomolgus macaques | ZH501 | 105.18 PFU | Aerosol | 0/18% | Fever | Insensitive to RVFV | 920 | |
| Ruminants | Sheep | ZH501 | – | SC | 0–30% | Acute hepatic necrosis, ocular lesions, abortion in pregnant ewes | Natural hosts and susceptible animal, applicable to transmission study/Nonstandardized animal models | 921 |
| Calves (<1 month) | ZH501 | – | SC | 10–70% | Acute hepatic necrosis, meningoencephalitis | 921,922 |
ID intradermal, IN intranasal, SC subcutaneous, IP intraperitoneal, IV intravenous, CNS central nervous system, RVF rift valley fever, RVFV rift valley fever virus, PFU plaque formation unit, TCID50 median tissue culture infective dose, – not applicable