| 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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