Exposure of abattoirs workers to rift valley fever virus infection in Southwestern Saudi Arabia

Objective: To measure seroprevalence of Rift Valley Fever virus infection among abattoirs workers in Southwestern Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Abattoirs in the region (Jazan, Aseer and Al Qunfuda) were visited. Veterinarians and butchers were studied. Blood samples were then taken and tested for RVF-specific IgG and IgM (ELISAs). Results: The present study included 62 abattoir workers. None of whom tested were positive for RVF specific IgM. The overall prevalence of RVF IgG among butchers reached 8% (95% CI: 1.3 - 75.8). Among the 31 Bengali butchers 3 were RVF IgG positive giving a prevalence of 9.7 % (95% CI: 2.0 - 25.8), while among four Saudi butchers one was RVF IgG positive (25%, 95% CI: 1.3 - 75.8). Conclusions: The study documented the lack of recent RVF activity among abattoirs workers. High-risk, occupationally exposed abattoir workers represent a useful sentinel population for surveillance of RVF, especially in the absence of clinical disease.