title: Viral hemorrhagic fevers in the Tihamah region of the western Arabian Peninsula.
abstract: Viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) refers to a group of diseases characterized by an acute febrile syndrome with hemorrhagic manifestations and high mortality rates caused by several families of viruses that affect humans and animals. These diseases are typically endemic in certain geographical regions and sometimes cause major outbreaks. The history of hemorrhagic fever in the Arabian Peninsula refers to the 19th century and most outbreaks were reported in the Tihamah region-the Red Sea coastal plain of the Arabian Peninsula in the west and southwest of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Herein, we describe the agents that cause VHFs and their epidemiology in Tihamah, the history of the diseases, transmission, species affected, and clinical signs. Finally, we address challenges in the diagnosis and control of VHFs in this region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hodeidah University, Hodeidah, Yemen.
authors.forename: Fathiah
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2505-7217
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zakham
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hodeidah University, Hodeidah, Yemen.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Habal
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hodeidah University, Hodeidah, Yemen.|Epidemiological Surveillance Administration, Office of Public Health and Population, Hodeidah, Yemen.
authors.forename: Rola
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Taher
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Engineering Sciences and Modeling, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco.
authors.forename: Altaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alaoui
authors.affiliation: Biology and Medical Research Unit, Life Sciences Division, CNESTEN, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El Mzibri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003710:Demography; D003716:Dengue Virus; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne; D003225:Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo; D006482:Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D012296:Rift Valley fever virus; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015006:Yemen / Q000453:epidemiology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control