Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) causes Rift Valley fever (RVF), resulting in morbidity and mortality in humans and ruminants. Evidence of transboundary outbreaks means that RVFV remains a threat to human health and livestock industries in countries that are free from the disease. To enhance surveillance capability, methods for detection of RVFV are required. The generation of reagents suitable for the detection of RVFV antigen in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from infected animals have been developed and are described herein. Recombinant nucleoprotein (rNP) was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified using immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography. Purified rNP was used as an immunogen to produce anti-NP polyclonal antisera in rabbits for use in detection of RVFV NP in experimentally infected animals by immunohistochemistry. Antisera raised in rabbits against rNP were able to recognize viral NP antigen in fixed infected Vero cell pellets and sheep liver. Therefore, the methods and reagents described herein are useful in assays for detection of RVFV infections in animals, for research and surveillance purposes.

裂谷热病毒（RVFV）引起裂谷热（RVF），导致人类和反刍动物的发病率和死亡率。跨界爆发的证据表明，RVFV仍然在没有该病的国家中威胁着人类健康和畜牧业。为了增强监视能力，需要用于检测RVFV的方法。已经开发了适用于从福尔马林固定，石蜡包埋的组织中检测RVFV抗原的试剂，这些试剂来自感染动物，并在此进行了描述。重组核蛋白（rNP）在大肠杆菌中表达并使用固定的金属离子亲和色谱法纯化。纯化的rNP用作免疫原，在兔中产生抗NP多克隆抗血清，用于通过免疫组织化学检测实验感染动物的RVFV NP。在兔中针对rNP产生的抗血清能够识别固定感染的Vero细胞沉淀和绵羊肝脏中的病毒NP抗原。因此，本文所述的方法和试剂可用于检测动物中的RVFV感染，用于研究和监测目的的测定中。