Table 1.
Summary of the zoonotic infectious viral diseases reported in Saudi Arabia to be causing different outbreaks, by affected area and year
| Pathogens * | First Country Affected and Year | First Cases Recorded from Saudi Arabia, Year and Area | Reference on Cases Information from Saudi | Pathogen Sources + | Pathogen Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rabies | First human rabies death in the USA, 1899 | 2018 in Makkah | [41] | Saliva, CNS | All mammals |
| MERS-CoV | Saudi Arabia in 2012 | 2012 in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Makkah | [34,55,61,63] | Nasal and eyes discharges | Arabian camel |
| Influenza A H1N1; H5N1 |
First in 1918, then 1976 in the USA. Another fatality complication occurred from 2005–2009 | 2009 in Riyadh, Eastern region, and Jeddah | [68,78,84,87] | Aerosols, bird feces | Birds + pigs + horses + dogs + sea mammals + humans |
| AHFV | Saudi Arabia in 1994 | 1994 in Jeddah, and between 2006–2009 in Jeddah, Makkah, and Najran | [33,90,95,96] | Blood, feces, and nasal discharges | Sheep + Arabian camel |
| CCHV | Crimean Peninsula in 1944 and 1956 from a Congo child | 1989–1990 in Makkah. 1991–1993 in Makkah, Jeddah, and Taif. 2009 in Jazan |
[114,115,116,117] | Blood, tissue, and ticks | Domestic ruminants |
| RVFV | Great Rift Valley of Kenya in 1912 | 2000 in Southwestern regions of Saudi (Jizan and Aseer) | [148] | Blood, tissues, and mosquitoes | Lamb + goat + bovine + Arabian camel |
| DHFV | Before the 18th century. Manila in 1953. Jakarta Indonesia and Egypt in 1779 | 1994 in Jeddah, 2004 in Makkah, and 2008 in Al-Madinah | [171,177,178,179,180,181,182,184,205,209] | Blood, tissue, and mosquitoes | Human |
| WNV | Uganda in 1937 | 2007 in Al-Ahsa, virus detection was by serology positivity | [196] | CNS, tissue | Horse + human |
Pathogens *: MERS-CoV = Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. AHFV = Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus. CCHV = Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus. RVFV = Rift Valley ever virus. DHFV = Dengue hemorrhagic fever virus. WNV = West Nile virus. Pathogen source + of rabies virus, influenza virus, AHFV, RVF virus, and WNV were reported from a previous study on several zoonotic diseases diagnosed in the Arabian Peninsula [23]. Saudi Arabia # was reported as the first country affected by these two viruses (MERS-CoV and AHFV). CNS = central nervous system.