JEDDAH, 1 February 2005 — The Ministry of Health has confirmed the presence of four cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) in Makkah. “The four cases have been recorded during the last month and they have received treatment,” said Dr. Khaled Merghalani, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health.
Because of recent heavy rains, there are many stagnant pools that provide breeding areas for the mosquitoes which spread the fever. “The health and infection control teams have been busy spraying the pools,” said a source in Makkah.
Dr. Ghazi Shaikh, director of preventive health care and first aid at the health affairs office in Jeddah, said that no cases of dengue fever had been reported in Jeddah.
But Dr. Merghalani said it was possible that dengue fever cases would appear in Jeddah. “It’s important to raise people’s awareness about how they can reduce the spread of the mosquitoes by spraying their homes and not leaving any pools or water uncovered or allowing water to collect,” he explained.
Jeddah is full of stagnant water pools, overflowing septic tanks, leaking water pipes, and inadequate, if not non-existent, drainage. All of these encourage the breeding of mosquitoes.
A source at the Jeddah Municipality said that 90 percent of the underground water table had been reduced in some neighborhoods.
