Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an emerging arboviral pathogen that causes disease in both livestock and humans. Severe disease manifestations of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in humans include hemorrhagic fever, ocular disease, and encephalitis. This review describes the current understanding of the pathogenesis of RVF encephalitis. While some data from human studies exist, the development of several animal models has accelerated studies of the neuropathogenesis of RVFV. We review current animal models and discuss what they have taught us about RVFV encephalitis. We briefly describe alternative models that have been used to study other neurotropic arboviruses and how these models may help contribute to our understanding RVFV encephalitis. We conclude with some unanswered questions and future directions.
Keywords: African green monkey; Rift Valley fever; aerosol; arbovirus; bunyavirus; monkey; rat; viral encephalitis.