 An
outbreak of an illness which has killed at least 16 people in
the Saudi province of Jizan has been identified as Rift Valley
Fever (RVF). According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)
this is the first report of the disease outside Africa.
The virus
usually affects animals, but can be transmitted to humans via
mosquitoes, or through coming into contact with the blood of contaminated
animals.
A spokesman
for the Saudi health authorities said the disease had been transmitted
by sheep and a large number of animals had died recently in Jizan.
Bleeding
He said 16
of the 36 people infected had now died, but no new cases had been
reported in the last 48 hours.
The authorities
in Jizan province imposed emergency measures after cases of the
disease were detected
The disease
can cause bleeding from the mouth, ears and nose, eye lesions
and encephalitis but symptoms more usually resemble those of influenza.
Human mortality
rates in outbreaks are usually low, but hundreds died in Kenya
and Somalia after the disease spread widely during floods.
Saudi Arabia
regularly imposes bans on the import of livestock from countries
suffering outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever in order to prevent the
spread of the disease.
Jizan province
lies around 300km from the coast of Africa across the Red Sea.
It is one
of the poorest parts of Saudi Arabia, where most people live off
fishing and livestock.
The farming
population lives in round huts made of branches and often sleep
outdoors because of the heat.
The town of
Jizan is known for its heat and humidity at this time of year
which, combined with recent seasonal heavy rains, makes it an
ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes.
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