To view the erratum, please click here . Signs and symptoms of ill persons included low grade fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice with liver and renal dysfunction often progressing to disseminated intravascular coagulation, hepatorenal syndrome, and death. This report summarizes the preliminary results of the collaborative epidemiologic investigation performed by the Saudi Arabian MOH, CDC, and the National Institute of Virology, South Africa, of the first confirmed occurrence of RVF outside Africa. All suspected severe cases have been hospitalized for care and management. Cases from four other health regions have documented travel to these areas.
Studies are in progress to identify risk factors for infection, severe disease, and mortality.
Animal, human, and vector surveillance is being strengthened throughout the country, including establishment of central human and veterinary virology laboratories in Riyadh and Jizan, respectively. A kingdomwide survey among domestic ungulates, primarily sheep and goats, is under way to define the boundaries for a veterinary vaccination program. Additional studies are planned to assess the magnitude of the outbreak, to define infection rates among high-risk groups, such as veterinarians and slaughterhouse workers, and to determine evidence for nosocomial transmission. P Jupp, PhD, A Kemp, MS, F Burt, PhD, R Swanepoel, PhD, Pathogens Unit, National Institute of Virology, Johannesburg, South Africa. Epizootic and epidemic transmission is associated with periodic heavy rainfall.