Dengue virus infection in Saudi Arabia from 2003 to 2023: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Dengue virus (DENV) remains one of the most common arboviral infections threatening humans. This study was conducted to systematically review the available literature and provide an updated overview of the overall prevalence of DENV infection in Saudi Arabia. The prevalence data was pooled from 21,891 participants recruited in 17 studies. Using random-effects model, the overall prevalence of DENV infection in Saudi Arabia was calculated as 30.8% (95% CI: 20.8–49.8%). The pooled IgM and IgG seroprevalence rates were 17.7% and 26.6%, respectively. Furthermore, the detection of DENV-NS1 antigen and viral RNA revealed pooled estimates of 16.4% and 37.0%, respectively. This study reports a relatively high burden of DENV infection in Saudi Arabia. The findings of this SRMA provide valuable information on the epidemiology of DENV infections in the country, highlighting the need for additional epidemiological investigations to assess the current situation of DENV infection in the country.