JEDDAH, 25 August 2006 — The Saudi military in the Western Province has called on the Jeddah Municipality to act quickly in combating the spread of dengue fever, which has already caused four security personnel in the area to severely fall ill.
Army sources would like the municipality to level and dry swamps located in military areas in the south Jeddah Municipality. The swamps are known breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carry the dreaded dengue fever.
According to a satellite photo report, a copy of which Arab News obtained, 13 swamps lie in the area where the National Guard is located in south Jeddah.
Municipal officials say that they have been unable to send their task force to dry the swamps, which are situated in military areas that are inaccessible to civilian officials.
However officials hope that now, with military clearance, they will be able to gain access to the area and conduct tests on military personnel living in the area. Officials also say that as ordinary civilian vehicles are not allowed to enter military areas, the municipality will have to request permission for planes to be used to spray insecticide.
Meanwhile, hospitals in the region have been ordered to handle suspected cases with care. Health authorities have also appealed to people to report any suspected cases of dengue fever to the authorities. Health authorities in Jeddah are also stringently checking health cards of people entering the Kingdom at ports and airports.
According to official statistics from the Health Ministry, there have been 419 suspected cases of dengue since January, with 200 confirmed cases and four people dying of the illness.
Most cases of dengue fever dealt by hospitals in Jeddah have originated in the central and southern areas of the city.
The Jeddah Municipality recently launched an awareness campaign to households across to remove all stagnant waters that could breed diseases and help in spreading insects. The team also distributed booklets containing instructions on how to take precautions against dengue.
Laboratory tests have confirmed that 600 people have been affected with dengue fever out of a total of 1,400 suspected cases this year alone.
Dengue fever is an infectious disease that causes severe fever, headaches, joint and muscular pains and rashes. Rodents and mosquitoes are reportedly common carriers of the disease.
The dengue rash is usually bright red and usually appears first on the lower limbs and the chest — in some patients, it spreads to cover most of the body. Many people who catch the epidemic also suffer from abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
People who catch dengue fever are advised to rest and drink plenty of fluids. The last serious outbreak of the disease in Saudi Arabia occurred in 1994. Recently, Jeddah Governor Prince Mishal ibn Majed launched a campaign to create awareness of the disease and prevent it from breaking out in the Western Province.
