Meeting report: CEPI workshop on Rift Valley fever epidemiology and modeling to inform human vaccine development, Nairobi, 4–5 June 2024

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic viral disease that causes epidemics and epizootics among humans and livestock, resulting in substantial health and socioeconomic consequences. Currently, there are no RVF vaccines licensed for humans, but several candidates show promise in early-stage development. Existing gaps in RVF epidemiological data and challenges associated with predicting RVF outbreak risk complicate the planning of efficacy studies, making the pathway to licensure for promising candidates unclear. In June 2024, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) convened a two-day workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss RVF epidemiology, modeling priorities, and specific gaps relevant to human RVF vaccine development. The workshop included representatives from multiple RVF-endemic countries, key global collaborators, and international health organizations. Workshop participants identified five key priorities: (1) Looking beyond outbreaks: There is a need to better characterize the complex One Health epidemiology of RVF and understand interepidemic persistence of the virus; (2) Better data for better models: Epidemiological modeling is crucial for research, prediction, and planning, but it requires accurate and representative data; (3) New, improved and accessible diagnostics and serological assays: These are needed to inform epidemiology and case definitions, without which RVF research will continue to suffer due to paucity of data and challenges in determining infection and exposure; (4) Defining use cases, regulatory pathways, and implementation strategies for human vaccines: Clarity on these topics will facilitate licensure and effective use of RVF vaccines; and (5) People-centered approaches: Community engagement and involvement of social and behavioral scientists are key to the success of human vaccine research and development and implementation, particularly as the virus impacts livestock and livelihoods. Workshop participants welcomed a renewed focus for RVF epidemiology and modeling, and expressed enthusiasm for continued multidisciplinary collaborations to support enabling sciences for human RVF vaccine research and development.

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Publication Details

Journal
Vaccine
Published
2025-03-18
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.126860
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Viral Infections and Vectors
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.79

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article

Meeting report: CEPI workshop on Rift Valley fever epidemiology and modeling to inform human vaccine development, Nairobi, 4–5 June 2024

Dadi Marami, Carolin Vegvari, Maureen Kamau, John Juma et al.
2 citations
Vaccine
Viral Infections and Vectors
2.79
article

Meeting report: CEPI workshop on Rift Valley fever epidemiology and modeling to inform human vaccine development, Nairobi, 4–5 June 2024

Dadi Marami, Carolin Vegvari, Maureen Kamau, John Juma, Jeanette Dawa, Rebekah C. Kading, Carine Punt, Mark Otiende, Seda Tezcan-Ülger, Petra C. Fay, Judith D. Auerbach, Brian H. Bird, Quirine A. ten Bosch, Ndeye Sakha Bob, Yewande Alimi, Abdallah M Samy, Serge Nzietchueng, Pierre Formenty, Sean M. Moore, Alemseged Abdissa, Peter Hart, Julius J. Lutwama, Luke Nyakarahuka, Peter N. Thompson, Volker Gerdts, Pranav Pandit, Bachirou Tinto, M. Kariuki Njenga, Bernard Bett, Keli Nicole Gerken, Grace Mwangoka, Paul Ndaya Oloo, Baratang A. Lubisi, J. Gabrielle Breugelmans, John N. Gitonga, Jessica Clark, Martin H. Groschup, Assaf Anyamba, Sherry Johnson, Samuel O. Oyola, Sarah Cleaveland, Mathew Muturi, Radhika Gharpure, Juan F Vesga, Silvia Situma, Mike J. Tildesley, Jakob P. Cramer, Richard Njouom, James Heighway, Samuel Kerama, Dick Luyimbazi, Angela Ndiu, Lodovico Samuele Paganini, Heidi Sneddon, Paul P Wichgers Schreur
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic viral disease that causes epidemics and epizootics among humans and livestock, resulting in substantial health and socioeconomic consequences. Currently, there are no RVF vaccines licensed for humans, but several candidates show promise in early-stage development. Existing gaps in RVF epidemiological data and challenges associated with predicting RVF outbreak risk complicate the planning of efficacy studies, making the pathway to licensure for promising candidates unclear. In June 2024, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) convened a two-day workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss RVF epidemiology, modeling priorities, and specific gaps relevant to human RVF vaccine development. The workshop included representatives from multiple RVF-endemic countries, key global collaborators, and international health organizations. Workshop participants identified five key priorities: (1) Looking beyond outbreaks: There is a need to better characterize the complex One Health epidemiology of RVF and understand interepidemic persistence of the virus; (2) Better data for better models: Epidemiological modeling is crucial for research, prediction, and planning, but it requires accurate and representative data; (3) New, improved and accessible diagnostics and serological assays: These are needed to inform epidemiology and case definitions, without which RVF research will continue to suffer due to paucity of data and challenges in determining infection and exposure; (4) Defining use cases, regulatory pathways, and implementation strategies for human vaccines: Clarity on these topics will facilitate licensure and effective use of RVF vaccines; and (5) People-centered approaches: Community engagement and involvement of social and behavioral scientists are key to the success of human vaccine research and development and implementation, particularly as the virus impacts livestock and livelihoods. Workshop participants welcomed a renewed focus for RVF epidemiology and modeling, and expressed enthusiasm for continued multidisciplinary collaborations to support enabling sciences for human RVF vaccine research and development.

VaccineVol. 54
Ain Shams University (EG), Ifakara Health Institute (TZ), Washington State Department of Health (US), University of Nairobi (KE), National Institutes of Health (US), Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (DE), Swissmedic (CH), University of Ghana (GH), Kenya Wildlife Service (KE), Haramaya University (ET), Pharmacy and Poisons Board (KE), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KE), University of Warwick (GB), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (ET), World Health Organization (CH), Centre Pasteur du Cameroun (CM), Institut Pasteur de Dakar (SN), Mpala Research Center and Wildlife Foundation (KE), Armauer Hansen Research Institute (ET), UK Health Security Agency (GB), Mersin Üniversitesi (TR), International Livestock Research Institute (KE), University of Pretoria (ZA), Makerere University (UG), University of California, Davis (US), Wellcome Trust (GB), Fogarty International Center (US), Wageningen University & Research (NL), Uganda Virus Research Institute (UG), Colorado State University (US)
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Viral Infections and Vectors
2.79
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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