{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T05:25:25Z","timestamp":1787117125973,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":18,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787097600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Vet. Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne transboundary zoonotic disease with major implications for animal and public health. Following the 2000 outbreak in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the risk of reintroduction through cross-border livestock movement remains a continuing concern. This study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) among illegally introduced livestock intercepted in the Jazan region of southwestern Saudi Arabia and to assess the added value of combined serological and molecular testing for detecting recent infection under routine surveillance conditions.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Cross-sectional study was conducted using routine diagnostic data from confiscated livestock intercepted between January 2017 and December 2019.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results and discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A total of 2,202 serum samples from sheep, cattle, and camels were screened using a commercial competitive ELISA kit (ID.vet, France). Seroreactive samples were further characterized using IgM ELISA and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Seroprevalence estimates were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and by species and year of collection. Agreement between IgM ELISA and RT-PCR was evaluated using Cohen\u2019s kappa coefficient. Overall, 38 of 2,202 samples were cELISA-positive, giving an RVFV seroprevalence of 1.7% (95% CI: 1.3\u20132.4). Of the Seroreactive samples, 6\/38 (15.8%; 95% CI: 7.4\u201330.4) were IgM-positive, indicating recent infection. Three samples were RT-PCR-confirmed, and all molecularly confirmed cases were also IgM-positive. Agreement between IgM and PCR was moderate (\n                      <jats:italic>\u03ba<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.62). Seroprevalence was higher in sheep than cattle, but without statistical significance (OR\u202f=\u202f1.61; 95% CI: 0.82\u20133.17;\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.190). These findings provide surveillance-based evidence of RVFV exposure and recent infection among livestock intercepted at a high-risk border interface. They support illegal cross-border livestock movement as a potential pathway for RVFV introduction, while not establishing the geographic source or transmission route. Strengthening integrated laboratory surveillance, border biosecurity, and One Health coordination is essential for early detection and risk reduction.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2026.1893786","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T04:38:46Z","timestamp":1787114326000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Cross-border introduction risk of Rift Valley fever virus: surveillance evidence from intercepted livestock in southwestern Saudi Arabia"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Mohamed Siddig","family":"Alarabi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"WEQAA Center Laboratory in Jazan, The National Center for the Prevention and Control of Plants and Animal Diseases","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"A. A.","family":"Altaher","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"WEQAA Center Laboratory in Jazan, The National Center for the Prevention and Control of Plants and Animal Diseases","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ommer M.","family":"Dafalla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"WEQAA Center Laboratory in Jazan, The National Center for the Prevention and Control of Plants and Animal Diseases","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulla Ali","family":"Alashour","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"WEQAA Center Laboratory in Jazan, The National Center for the Prevention and Control of Plants and Animal Diseases","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fisal A.","family":"Bushlaibi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Operation Sector, General Department of Laboratories, The National Center for the Prevention and Control of Plant Pests and Animal Diseases (Weqaa)","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fahad N.","family":"Abukhalil","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Operation Sector, General Department of Laboratories, The National Center for the Prevention and Control of Plant Pests and Animal Diseases (Weqaa)","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Osama Ahmed","family":"Hassan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ume\u00e5 University","place":["Ume\u00e5, Sweden"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdelnassir Ahmed","family":"Taha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinary Section, Emirate Industry for Camel Milk and Milk Production","place":["Dubai, United Arab Emirates"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5520","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vaccine.2015.08.020","article-title":"Rift Valley fever virus: a review of diagnosis and vaccination, and implications for emergence in Europe","volume":"33","author":"Mansfield","year":"2015","journal-title":"Vaccine"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1415","DOI":"10.3201\/eid0812.020195","article-title":"Genetic analysis of viruses associated with emergence of Rift Valley fever in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, 2000\u201301","volume":"8","author":"Shoemaker","year":"2002","journal-title":"Emerg Infect Dis"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1084","DOI":"10.1086\/378747","article-title":"Rift Valley fever epidemic in Saudi Arabia: epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory characteristics","volume":"37","author":"Madani","year":"2003","journal-title":"Clin Infect Dis"},{"key":"ref4","author":"Davies","year":"2003"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"22","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.2010.09-0318","article-title":"Epidemiologic and clinical aspects of a Rift Valley fever outbreak in humans in Tanzania, 2007","volume":"83","author":"Mohamed","year":"2007","journal-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.1186\/1476-072X-9-54","article-title":"Pathogenic landscapes: interactions between land, people, disease vectors, and their animal hosts","volume":"9","author":"Lambin","year":"2010","journal-title":"Int J Health Geogr"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"938","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1607948114","article-title":"Rift Valley fever: recent insights into pathogenesis and epidemiology","volume":"114","author":"Lancelot","year":"2017","journal-title":"Proc Natl Acad Sci USA"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2915.2002.00371.x","article-title":"The 2000 epidemic of Rift Valley fever in Saudi Arabia: mosquito vector studies","volume":"16","author":"Jupp","year":"2002","journal-title":"Med Vet Entomol"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1016\/S0924-8579(02)00295-9","article-title":"Rift Valley fever: an uninvited zoonosis in the Arabian peninsula","volume":"21","author":"Balkhy","year":"2003","journal-title":"Int J Antimicrob Agents"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"426","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jviromet.2013.07.006","article-title":"Development of a Rift Valley fever real-time RT-PCR assay that can detect all three genome segments","volume":"193","author":"Wilson","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Virol Methods"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1513","DOI":"10.1089\/vbz.2010.0245","article-title":"The status of Rift Valley fever in animals in Saudi Arabia: a mini review","volume":"11","author":"Al-Afaleq","year":"2011","journal-title":"Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1535","DOI":"10.1007\/s11250-012-0100-x","article-title":"Seroepidemiological study of Rift Valley fever in animals in Saudi Arabia","volume":"44","author":"Al-Afaleq","year":"2012","journal-title":"Trop Anim Health Prod"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e1229","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0001229","article-title":"The 2007 Rift Valley fever outbreak in Sudan","volume":"5","author":"Hassan","year":"2011","journal-title":"PLoS Negl Trop Dis."},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2323","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.40.7.2323-2330.2002","article-title":"Rapid detection and quantification of RNA of Ebola and Marburg viruses, Lassa virus, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, Rift Valley fever virus, dengue virus, and yellow fever virus by real-time reverse transcription-PCR","volume":"40","author":"Drosten","year":"2002","journal-title":"J Clin Microbiol"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"713","DOI":"10.1128\/CDLI.9.3.713-715.2002","article-title":"Use of reverse transcriptase PCR in early diagnosis of Rift Valley fever","volume":"9","author":"Sall","year":"2002","journal-title":"Clin Diagn Lab Immunol"},{"key":"ref16","volume-title":"Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"139","DOI":"10.3390\/v11020139","article-title":"The one health approach is necessary for the control of Rift Valley fever infections in Egypt: a comprehensive review","volume":"11","author":"Fawzy","year":"2019","journal-title":"Viruses"},{"key":"ref18","volume-title":"Rift Valley fever Surveillance","year":"2018"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Veterinary Science"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fvets.2026.1893786\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T04:38:57Z","timestamp":1787114337000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fvets.2026.1893786\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"references-count":18,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fvets.2026.1893786"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fvets.2026.1893786","relation":{},"ISSN":["2297-1769"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2297-1769","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"article-number":"1893786"}}