Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in Saudi Arabia. The American-Saudi connection

H. A. Harfi and B. M. Fakhry

Two Saudi Arabian patients, one adult and one child, developed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 years after blood transfusion. Both patients received blood imported from the United States in 1981. These are the first cases reported in Saudi Arabia. Since an undetermined number of Saudi patients have received blood imported from the United States, an outbreak of AIDS in Saudi Arabia might prove to be a serious problem in the near future. Measures such as limiting the importation of blood products from countries with a high incidence of AIDS and screening for human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III should be taken to stop the spread of this fatal disease.