Many Indian expatriates living in Riyadh are afraid of traveling home for Eid Al-Adha because of a severe outbreak of dengue fever in New Delhi and the southern region of the country.

There have been 109 deaths in India so far this year. Up to Sept. 30, the Indian Ministry of Health recorded more than 38,000 cases of dengue fever across India, compared to over 49,606 in the whole of 2012, which itself saw a significant increase from the previous year.

The disease kills over 5,000 Indians every year and is a seasonal threat, particularly during and just after the monsoon season, experts say. Various species of mosquitoes spread the virus.

Hospitals in India are packed with people infected with the virus, said Faisal Zaidi, a geology professor from King Saud University, who just returned from India.

“There are no spare beds for new cases. The scenario is worse in government hospitals where patients are sharing beds.

“My brother-in-law was infected with dengue fever by mosquitoes breeding in the local swimming pool in Ghaziabad, near New Delhi. We were in a desperate situation because we could not find a bed for him at many private hospitals,” Zaidi said.

He accused Indian politicians of doing little about dengue fever in their communities. He urged them to launch more awareness programs about the transmission of the disease.

Neyaz Ahmed, who works with a Saudi telecommunication company and is taking a flight to New Delhi on Oct. 14, said: “Riyadh is safe when it comes to hygiene, overall cleanliness and disease control. We've been living here for 13 years and had our twins born here. My wife is extremely panicky after hearing the recent news stories and severity of the outbreak. We are concerned about the safety of our children."

Syed Shamim Ahmad, a senior registrar at the intensive care unit of King Saud Medical City, said symptoms of an infected person include headache, fever, eye pain, severe muscle and joint aches and skin rashes.

Ahmad said: “Treatment is given only to relieve symptoms. A patient’s platelet levels drop significantly during the infection, which in the most extreme cases can cause death from serious internal bleeding.

“Because dengue fever is a viral infection that communicates through mosquitoes to humans, the only way to reduce infections is to improve hygiene levels. Avoid mosquito bites and prevent mosquitoes from breeding.”

Ahmad said travelers should ensure they are immunized.

According to a study published in the science journal Nature, India has 34 percent of global cases, the highest incidence in the world.

Global dengue infections have increased rapidly in recent years. The World Health Organization estimates there are 50 million to 100 million cases annually and 40 percent of the world’s population is at risk of getting the disease.