Animal models of Rift Valley fever virus infection.

Emerging and naturally occurring infectious diseases from bacterial and viral sources are constantly threatening humans and livestock. Recently, a variety of infectious diseases have emerged into previously disease-free areas, resulting in new epidemics. Consequently, governmental agencies and researchers in the area of biomedical research have started designing ways to prevent their further spread. Ongoing research activities are focused on developing therapeutic and prophylactic interventions against these emerging infections. Development and evaluation of vaccines, diagnostics and treatments often depend on the development of appropriate animal models to determine the efficacy of new therapeutic agents. In addition, animal models are necessary to understand the basic pathobiology of infection. In this minireview, the current animal models used for one of these emerging infectious diseases, Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), and the specifics of infection and pathology associated with each model are discussed.