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. 2024 Jul;32(7):102126.
doi: 10.1016/j.jsps.2024.102126. Epub 2024 Jun 8.

Epidemiologic and clinical updates on viral infections in Saudi Arabia

Noura M Alshiban  1 , Munirah S Aleyiydi  1 , Majed S Nassar  1 , Nada K Alhumaid  1 , Thamer A Almangour  2 , Yahya M K Tawfik  2 , Laila A Damiati  3 , Abdulaziz S Almutairi  4 , Essam A Tawfik  1
Affiliations

Epidemiologic and clinical updates on viral infections in Saudi Arabia

Noura M Alshiban et al. Saudi Pharm J. 2024 Jul.

Abstract

In the past two decades, the world has witnessed devastating pandemics affecting the global healthcare infrastructure and disrupting society and the economy worldwide. Among all pathogens, viruses play a critical role that is associated with outbreaks due to their wide range of species, involvement of animal hosts, easily transmitted to humans, and increased rates of infectivity. Viral disease outbreaks threaten public health globally due to the challenges associated with controlling and eradicating them. Implementing effective viral disease control programs starts with ongoing surveillance data collection and analyses to detect infectious disease trends and patterns, which is critical for maintaining public health. Viral disease control strategies include improved hygiene and sanitation facilities, eliminating arthropod vectors, vaccinations, and quarantine. The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Public Health Authority (also known as Weqayah) in Saudi Arabia are responsible for public health surveillance to control and prevent infectious diseases. The notifiable viral diseases based on the Saudi MOH include hepatitis diseases, viral hemorrhagic fevers, respiratory viral diseases, exanthematous viral diseases, neurological viral diseases, and conjunctivitis. Monitoring trends and detecting changes in these viral diseases is essential to provide proper interventions, evaluate the established prevention programs, and develop better prevention strategies. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the epidemiological updates of the recently reported viral infections in Saudi Arabia and to provide insights into the recent clinical treatment and prevention strategies.

Keywords: Prevention; Saudi Arabia; Vaccines; Viral infections; Viruses.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Represents the classification of viruses based on the nucleic genome, which is (DNA) or (RNA; whether positive sense or negative sense). Also, it can be called enveloped or nonenveloped according to the morphological features. Human viruses belong to different families with diameter variations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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