Epidemiology of respiratory viruses in Saudi Arabia: toward a complete picture

Acute lower respiratory tract infection is a major health problem that affects more than 15% of the total population of Saudi Arabia each year. Epidemiological studies conducted over the last three decades have indicated that viruses are responsible for the majority of these infections. The epidemio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of virology 2019-08, Vol.164 (8), p.1981-1996
Main Authors: Farrag, Mohamed A., Hamed, Maaweya E., Amer, Haitham M., Almajhdi, Fahad N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Coronaviridae
Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology
Coronavirus Infections - virology
Coronaviruses
Epidemiology
Humans
Infectious Diseases
Islam
Medical Microbiology
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus - isolation & purification
Respiration
Respiratory tract diseases
Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology
Respiratory Tract Infections - virology
Review
Saudi Arabia - epidemiology
Travel
Virology
Viruses
Workers
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Summary:Acute lower respiratory tract infection is a major health problem that affects more than 15% of the total population of Saudi Arabia each year. Epidemiological studies conducted over the last three decades have indicated that viruses are responsible for the majority of these infections. The epidemiology of respiratory viruses in Saudi Arabia is proposed to be affected mainly by the presence and mobility of large numbers of foreign workers and the gathering of millions of Muslims in Mecca during the Hajj and Umrah seasons. Knowledge concerning the epidemiology, circulation pattern, and evolutionary kinetics of respiratory viruses in Saudi Arabia are scant, with the available literature being inconsistent. This review summarizes the available data on the epidemiology and evolution of respiratory viruses. The demographic features associated with Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus infections are specifically analyzed for a better understanding of the epidemiology of this virus. The data support the view that continuous entry and exit of pilgrims and foreign workers with different ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds in Saudi Arabia is the most likely vehicle for global dissemination of respiratory viruses and for the emergence of new viruses (or virus variants) capable of greater dissemination.
ISSN:0304-8608
1432-8798
DOI:10.1007/s00705-019-04300-2