Alkhumra Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (AHFV): A Concise Overview

Alkhumra fever is a viral disease caused by the Alkhumra hemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV). It belongs to family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus. AHFV is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks, for example, Hyalomma. This disease was first identified in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in 1995 and then reported in other countries of the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East. The AHFV genome consists of a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA molecule of approximately 10.2 kilobases (kb) in length. The Open Reading Frame (ORF) encodes a polyprotein precursor that is processed by viral and host proteases to yield individual viral proteins. The polyprotein precursor is cleaved by viral proteases and host signal peptidases into three structural and seven non-structural proteins. AHFV can cause a range of clinical manifestations, from mild flu-like symptoms to severe hemorrhagic fever. In this review, we focus on insightful understanding of molecular biology, pathogenesis, and their potential therapeutic targets for AHFV.