JEDDAH, 12 June 2004 — Dengue fever has claimed its first casualty here as confirmed cases rose from 15 to 45, according to a local newspaper.
Okaz reported that a 35-year old Saudi died of dengue fever in King Fahd Hospital on Monday.
The Health Affairs Department in the Makkah Region is continuing efforts to contain the disease, its assistant director Dr. Essam Ali Hamwa told Arab News.
The Anti-Infectious Disease Department is monitoring areas where cases are appearing.
Districts where stagnant water and overflowing sewage are common have been sprayed with pesticide to combat the Aedes mosquito which spreads the disease.
The department also asked households to help by removing all stagnant water on their premises and spray insecticide at dawn and dusk, when the insects are active.
People are advised to keep doors and windows closed or at least screened, he added.
