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

Abstract

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.Handling Editor:

Hajj and Umrah Mass Gatherings and COVID-19 Infection

“…Respiratory viruses are the most frequent cause of these infections [ 9 , 10 ]. The epidemiology of respiratory viruses in KSA is likely affected by the gathering of more than 10 million Muslims in the holy sites of Makkah and Medina during the Umrah and Hajj seasons [ 11 ]. In pilgrims, human rhinovirus (HRV), common human coronaviruses (HCoV), and influenza virus were the respiratory viruses most frequently acquired at the Hajj [ 2 , 5 , 6 , 12 – 16 ].…”

“…The majority of cases occurred in the KSA with 2102 cases reported and 780 deaths (37.1% case fatality rate) [ 21 ]. The largest numbers of MERS-CoV cases were reported in 2014 and 2015 with 523 and 452 cases, respectively [ 11 ]. However, no cases of SARS coronavirus and MERS coronavirus were documented in Hajj pilgrims until now [ 22 ], and only a few cases of MERS have been reported among Umrah pilgrims [ 16 ].…”

SARS-CoV-2–Related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Uncovers a Patient with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease

“…History of contact to confirmed family member with COVID-19 was found in 77% of COVID-19 infection in children [ 1 ]. Moreover, the patient was symptomatic in the month of September, and most of the common respiratory viruses in Saudi Arabia start in the month of October and peak in November to January [ 13 ].…”

Therapeutic potential of phytoconstituents of edible fruits in combating emerging viral infections

“…There is an ever increase in the number of cases of human immunedeficiency virus, influenza, hepatitis C virus, and herpes simplex viruses which are leading causes of morbidity and death in human (Khwaza et al., 2018 ). The respiratory tract infections caused by different viral pathogens especially influenza viruses are considered a critical public health issue and causing millions of deaths worldwide annually, particularly with lower respiratory tract infections (Farrag et al., 2019 ). To overcome this, novel molecules of natural products which hold effective therapeutic potential against such viral diseases are the prime focus to prevent the widespread infections and identification of antiviral mechanisms from these drugs is attracted the researchers throughout the World (Patel et al., 2021 ).…”