Rift Valley fever is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the Rift Valley Fever Virus (RVFV) belonging to the genus Phlebovirus. This virus causes febrile or hemorrhagic illness in humans and ruminants, such as abortion, and death; especially in young sheep, cattle, and goats resulting in devastating epidemics in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The WHO has included this virus in Bluepoint's list of eight pathogens. This virus is a crucial health concern in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as the Kingdom is regularly exposed to this virus from the original source of East African countries. A complete understanding of viral pathogenesis, epidemiology, antiviral therapeutics, and human vaccines is still lacking. This review aims to provide an update on the status, pathogenesis, prevalence, challenges, and future prospects of RVFV in the KSA. The information provided will aid in the design and development of disease management strategies and novel prophylactic and therapeutic measures to control the infection and disease progression of RVFV in both humans and animals.

Background:Graves’ disease (GD) ranks as a primary cause of hyperthyroidism across all age demographics. The clinical presentation, treatment approaches, and overall therapeutic objectives can differ among various age groups. This study aimed to describe the clinical, laboratory, and radiological features, as well as the outcomes of the management of GD within the Saudi pediatric population.Methods:A cross-sectional, multicenter study across 2 tertiary care centers in Saudi Arabia (2010-2021). Clinical, biochemical, and imaging data were collected for children diagnosed with hyperthyroidism under the age of 18, utilizing an electronic medical records system. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.Results:We enrolled 93 patients with hyperthyroidism (Mean age at diagnosis = 11.5 years; females = 68, 73.1%). Notably, 40/93 patients (43%) had a significant family history. The primary etiologies were GD (N = 60, 64.5%) and hashitoxicosis (N = 10, 10.8%). The commonest presentations were goiter (57%) and tachycardia (55%). GD was predominantly associated with exophthalmos, lid lag, sweating, tremors, and weight loss (Odds Ratios = 3.71, 3.8, 2.77, 2.34, and 2.28, respectively). An increase in thyroid radioactive iodine uptake was observed in 29/93 patients (48.3%; P-value = .029), in contrast to non-sensitive thyroid ultrasound results (P-value = .228). Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI; N = 9.1, P-value = .000), Anti-thyroglobulin (TG; N = 537.5, P-value = .018), and Anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO; N = 366.5, P-value = .017) were significant alongside FT4 and FT3 (P-value = .000) in diagnosing GD. Most patients were treated exclusively with methimazole (MMT), showing good compliance (N = 44, 73%) and minimal adverse effects (N = 56, 93.3%). Radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation was performed in 14 patients (23.3%), and thyroidectomy in 5 patients (8.3%).Conclusion:In our cohort, GD emerged as a leading cause of hyperthyroidism among children and adolescents. Pediatric endocrinologists in Saudi Arabia tend to underutilize RAI and prefer alternative treatment methods.