Alkhumra hemorrhagic fever virus infection

Madani, Tariq A.; Abuelzein, El-Tayb M. E.

OBJECTIVES: This review article summarizes what has been published on Alkhumra hemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV), a novel flavivirus that was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 1995. METHODS: PubMed was used to search for studies published from January 1995 to June 2019 using the key words Alkhumra virus, Alkhurma virus, novel flavivirus, and tick-borne encephalitis virus. Additionally, records of the Saudi Ministry of Health were reviewed. RESULTS: Thirty-two articles on AHFV were identified. Acute febrile flu-like illness, hepatitis, hemorrhagic manifestations, and, less commonly, encephalitis are the main clinical features. The virus seems to be transmitted from livestock animals to humans by direct contact with these animals or their raw meat, or perhaps by tick or mosquito bites. The ability of ticks and mosquitoes to serve as vectors for AHFV needs to be confirmed by biological studies. The exact role of animals such as sheep, goats, camels, and other mammals in the transmission and maintenance of the virus remains to be elucidated. Preventive measures require an interdisciplinary approach involving the human and veterinary health sectors, the municipality, the ministry of agriculture, the vector control sector, and academic and research institutes. CONCLUSIONS: AHFV has been well characterized; nevertheless, some aspects remain to be elucidated.