Genetic analysis of viruses associated with emergence of Rift Valley fever in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, 2000-01.
The first confirmed Rift Valley fever outbreak outside Africa was reported in September 2000, in the Arabian Peninsula. As of February 2001, a total of 884 hospitalized patients were identified in Saudi Arabia, with 124 deaths. In Yemen, 1,087 cases were estimated to have occurred, with 121 deaths. Laboratory diagnosis of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) infections included virus genetic detection and characterization of clinical specimens by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, in addition to serologic tests and virus isolation. Genetic analysis of selected regions of virus S, M, and L RNA genome segments indicated little genetic variation among the viruses associated with disease. The Saudi Arabia and Yemen viruses were almost identical to those associated with earlier RVF epidemics in East Africa. Analysis of S, M, and L RNA genome segment sequence differences showed similar phylogenetic relationships among these viruses, indicating that genetic reassortment did not play an important role in the emergence of this virus in the Arabian Peninsula. These results are consistent with the recent introduction of RVFV into the Arabian Peninsula from East Africa.
Shoemaker
Trevor
T
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
Boulianne
Carla
C
Vincent
Martin J
MJ
Pezzanite
Linda
L
Al-Qahtani
Mohammed M
MM
Al-Mazrou
Yagub
Y
Khan
Ali S
AS
Rollin
Pierre E
PE
Swanepoel
Robert
R
Ksiazek
Thomas G
TG
Nichol
Stuart T
ST
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006801:Humans; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012295:Rift Valley Fever / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012296:Rift Valley fever virus / Q000235:genetics*; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015006:Yemen / Q000453:epidemiology
D000956:Antigens, Viral