Prevalence of Rift Valley fever in domestic ruminants in the central and northern regions of Burkina Faso

The seroprevalence of Rift Valley fever was determined in cattle, sheep and goats in selected areas of northern and central Burkina Faso. A total of 520 serum samples were screened for anti-Rift Valley fever virus immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies using an inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). An average seroprevalence of 7.67% (range 5% to 20%) was found in ruminants in Seno and Soum provinces, and prevalences of 20% and 22.5% in cattle in Yatenga and Oubritenga provinces, respectively. The location, species and age of the animals were found to influence the seroprevalence. All the ELISA IgG-positive samples were tested for IgM in a competitive ELISA and were found negative, thus ruling out recent infections. The IgG-positive samples, including weak positives, were further tested in a serum neutralisation test for neutralising antibodies and 54.5% of these samples tested positive. The results show that the virus is in circulation in central and northern regions of Burkina Faso, suggesting the need for improved surveillance and control systems to prevent future outbreaks and the consequent economic impact of the disease in Burkina Faso livestock.