JEDDAH: Eight cases of dengue fever have been detected over the past seven days in Jeddah, said a health official on Tuesday.
"This number is quite normal considering the poor hygiene condition of Jeddah following the heavy downpour and flash floods last month," said Sami Badawood, director of the Health Department in Jeddah.
He added that only two cases of dengue fever were reported last week.
An emergency committee reviewed the hygiene situation in Jeddah in the aftermath of the flood in a meeting on Tuesday. The committee, which was constituted under the orders of Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Majed, decided to take immediate steps to ensure infections do not spread.
Most of the city's sewage used to be emptied into the Musk Lake, where the water level reached its maximum following the floods. "Alternative arrangements to dump sewage carried from the city in trucks have been made," Badawood said.
The committee also decided to beef up field inspections to ensure all locations where disease-carrying insects could possibly breed are eliminated, he said.
The emergency committee, which is chaired by Badawood, includes representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Saudi Red Crescent and the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment Protection. The committee also decided to take steps for the speedy removal of waste and debris to avoid them turning into breeding grounds for rodents and insects which spread infections.
Several medical teams are currently visiting flood victims at their temporary shelters to ensure they are not affected by common illnesses associated with floods such as dengue fever, Badawood said.
He added that psychiatric teams are helping people who suffered trauma as a result of the flood.
"The Health Department has also appointed specialist teams to evaluate the environment situation in order to chalk out preventive plans against diseases," he said.
Steps are also being taken to ensure water tanks at homes and schools in the flood areas are free from pollution, he said.
