{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T18:17:44Z","timestamp":1790619464660,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,20]],"date-time":"2025-07-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752969600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100009914","name":"Uganda Government","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["MakRIF Round 4, 2022\/23"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MakRIF Round 4, 2022\/23"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100009914","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic disease caused by the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), affecting humans, livestock, and wild ruminants. This study aimed to characterize and assess the genetic diversity of RVFV strains circulating among livestock in Uganda. Blood samples were collected between January 2021 and May 2024 from apparently healthy cattle, goats, and sheep in four districts. The samples were first screened for RVFV antibodies using ELISA; antibody-positive samples were subsequently tested for viral RNA using reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The PCR-positive samples underwent targeted amplicon sequencing, and phylogenetic analyses of the small (S) and large (L) genome segments were conducted to determine viral lineages. Of the 833 ELISA-positive samples, 10 (all from cattle) tested positive for RVFV RNA using RT-qPCR. Consensus sequences were successfully generated for six S segments and one L genome segment. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that all sequences belonged to lineage C, showing close genetic similarity to RVFV strains previously identified in Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Madagascar, and Saudi Arabia. Limited genetic diversity was observed at both the nucleotide and amino acid levels. The detection of RVFV in apparently healthy cattle suggests ongoing, low-level viral circulation in Uganda. These findings offer important insights for guiding RVF surveillance, control, and policymaking in the country.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens14070720","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,21]],"date-time":"2025-07-21T09:33:53Z","timestamp":1753090433000},"page":"720","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Detection and Molecular Characterization of Rift Valley Fever Virus in Apparently Healthy Cattle in Uganda"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Eugene","family":"Arinaitwe","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"National Animal Disease Diagnostics and Epidemiology Centre (NADDEC), Entebbe P.O. Box 513, Uganda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kaitlyn","family":"Waters","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Orient, NY 11957, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bonto","family":"Faburay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-8940-3419","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gladys K.","family":"Nakanjako","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Animal Disease Diagnostics and Epidemiology Centre (NADDEC), Entebbe P.O. Box 513, Uganda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6605-0076","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"David Kalenzi","family":"Atuhaire","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, (COVAB), Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mathias","family":"Afayoa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, (COVAB), Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8434-4710","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Frank Norbert","family":"Mwiine","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, (COVAB), Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joseph","family":"Erume","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, (COVAB), Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100583","DOI":"10.1016\/j.onehlt.2023.100583","article-title":"Rift Valley fever in West Africa: A zoonotic disease with multiple socio-economic consequences","volume":"17","author":"Tinto","year":"2023","journal-title":"One Health"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Faburay, B., LaBeaud, A.D., McVey, D.S., Wilson, W.C., and Richt, J.A. (2017). Current status of rift valley fever vaccine development. 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