Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever

Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever (AHF) is a severe, often fatal hemorrhagic disease in humans caused by the Alkhumra hemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV). The early symptoms of AHF resemble those of the flu and include:

• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• General malaise
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting

In more severe cases, individuals may experience epistaxis (nosebleeds), purpura (purple spots on the skin due to bleeding under the skin), leukopenia (low white blood cell count), and thrombocytopenia (low platelet count).

Symptomatic individuals may also experience influenza-like symptoms, including fever, malaise, anorexia, or nausea. The virus is transmitted through the bite of infected ticks.

Causes and Transmission:

• Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV) is a flavivirus that causes AHF.
• The virus is transmitted through the bite of infected ticks.

Symptoms:

• Early symptoms resemble those of the flu, including:
  • Fever
  • Loss of appetite
  • General malaise
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
• More severe symptoms include:
  • Epistaxis (nosebleeds)
  • Purpura (purple spots on the skin due to bleeding under the skin)
  • Leukopenia (low white blood cell count)
  • Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count)

References:

• [1] Early symptoms of AHF resemble those of the flu.
• [2] Alkhurma virus is a flavivirus, discovered in 1994 in a person who died of hemorrhagic fever after slaughtering a sheep from the city of Alkhurma, Saudi Arabia.
• [3] Alkhumra hemorrhagic fever (AHF) is a severe, often fatal hemorrhagic disease in humans. It is caused by Alkhumra hemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV).
• [4] All initially described 10 patients presented with fever, headache, generalized body aches, arthralgia, anorexia, vomiting, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, ...
• [5] Symptomatic individuals may experience influenza-like symptoms including fever (96-100%), malaise (59-86%), anorexia (62%), or nausea (60%).
• [6] Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus is an emerging tick-borne flavivirus - Journal of Infection.
• [7] Mild symptoms: Fever, chills, headache, vomiting. Severe symptoms: Epistaxis, purpura, leukopenia.

Early symptoms of Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever (AHF) resemble the flu, and may include:

• Fever [1]
• Loss of appetite [1]
• General malaise [1]
• Diarrhea [1]
• Vomiting [1]

Additionally, some individuals may experience more severe symptoms such as:

• Bleeding or hemorrhaging [3]
• Influenza-like symptoms such as fever, headache, anorexia, malaise, diarrhea and vomiting [4]
• Flu-like symptoms including fever (96-100%), malaise (59-86%), anorexia (62%), or nausea (60%) [5]

In severe cases, patients may exhibit:

• Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count)
• Leukopenia (low white blood cell count)
• Elevated liver enzymes
• Coagulation abnormalities and increased vascular permeability [8]

It's worth noting that the symptoms of AHF can vary from person to person, and not everyone will experience all of these symptoms. If you suspect you or someone else has been exposed to Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever, it's essential to seek medical attention immediately.

References: [1] - Context result 1 [3] - Context result 3 [4] - Context result 4 [5] - Context result 5 [8] - Context result 8

Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever (AHF) can be diagnosed through various tests, including:

• Molecular detection by PCR: This is the first line of testing for AHFV infection, which relies on the amplification of the NS5 region of the viral genome [2].
• Virus isolation: This involves isolating the virus from a patient's blood or other bodily fluids.
• Serologic testing: This type of test detects the presence of antibodies against the AHFV in a patient's blood, indicating a past or current infection.

These diagnostic tests can help confirm a diagnosis of Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever and rule out other potential causes of symptoms [4].

It is worth noting that the diagnosis of AHFV infection was confirmed based on sequence and phylogenetic analyses [2]. Additionally, among the 11 hospitalized case-patients, 7 diagnoses of ALKHF were made by PCR and 4 by serologic testing [3].

References: [1] Zaki A.M., Fagbo S., de Lamballerie X. Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus is an emerging tick-borne flavivirus. J. Infect ... [2] The first line of testing for AHFV infection is RT-qPCR which rely on the amplification of the NS5 region of the viral genome ... [3] Among the 11 hospitalized case-patients, 7 diagnoses of ALKHF were made by PCR and 4 by serologic testing. [4] Alkhurma virus: Diagnostic method: Molecular detection of PCR, virus isolation, serologic testing

Treatment Overview

Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever (AHF) treatment primarily focuses on supportive care to manage symptoms, as there are no specific antiviral drugs available for this condition.

• Supportive Therapy: The cornerstone of AHF treatment is judicious fluid and electrolyte management, along with other supportive measures such as vasopressors, oxygen, parenteral nutrition, analgesics, and respiratory support [5].
• No Specific Antiviral Treatment: Unlike some other hemorrhagic fevers, there is no available antiviral treatment for AHF. Patients are managed with supportive care to manage symptoms [6].

Key Points

• Supportive therapy is the primary approach to managing AHF.
• No specific antiviral drugs are available for treating AHF.
• Treatment focuses on managing symptoms and supporting the patient's overall health.

References:

[5] The cornerstone of therapy for all these infections is judicious fluid and electrolyte management. Vasopressors, oxygen, parenteral nutrition, analgesics and respiratory support [5]. [6] There is no available antiviral treatment for Alkhumra hemorrhagic fever; treatment includes supportive care to manage symptoms. [9] Treatment and case management. Similar to other arboviral infections, no standard specific antiviral drugs are available to treat AHF. However, patients ...

Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever (AHF) is a viral disease caused by the Alkhurma virus, transmitted through tick bites or ingestion of unpasteurized camel milk [6]. When considering differential diagnoses for AHF, it's essential to consider other diseases that present with similar symptoms.

Some differential diagnoses for AHF include:

• Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF)
• Rift Valley fever (RVF)
• Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV)

These diseases share similar signs and symptoms with AHF, such as: * Fever * Chills * Headache * Vomiting * Epistaxis (nosebleeds) * Purpura (bleeding under the skin) * Leukopenia (low white blood cell count) * Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) * Meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain and meninges)

It's also worth noting that patients with viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs), such as AHF, may present with combinations of malaise, prostration, generalized signs of coagulation abnormalities, and increased vascular permeability [9].

In terms of specific diseases, the differential diagnoses for AHF include:

• Acute Anemia
• Acute Tubular Necrosis (ATN)
• Amebic Meningoencephalitis
• Babesiosis
• Bacteremia
• Cholera
• Chorioretinitis

These conditions may present with similar symptoms to AHF, and a thorough medical evaluation is necessary to determine the correct diagnosis.

References: [6] Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever is a viral disease caused by Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV), transmitted by tick bites, ingestion of unpasteurized camel milk. [9] Patients with VHF manifest combinations of malaise, prostration, generalized signs of coagulation abnormalities and increased vascular permeability.