Dengue Fever plagues Yemen

Chiara Onassis | 26 April 2012

SANA’A: Local sources told Bikyamasr.com this Thursday that 67 cases of Dengue Fever have been reported in the western Yemen province of Hodeida, blaming widespread poverty and poor sanitation for the outbreak.

As a result, the government decided to form a committee, which will be headed by the Health Minister and Population, Ahmed Qasam al-Ansi, whose ministry stated in a press release would work at eradicating the threat.

Preliminary investigations confirmed that indeed all patients were suffering from Dengue Fever.

Dengue fever is a virus-caused disease that is spread by mosquitoes.

It is spread by the bite of mosquitoes, most commonly the mosquito Aedes aegypti, which is found in tropic and sub-tropic regions.

The condition generally lasts a week or more.

Although uncomfortable, Dengue Fever is not deadly.

People with the condition should fully recover.

However malnutrition and a weakened immune system could prove deadly when combined to the virus, which is why the ministry is keen to tackle the issue as quickly as possible.

Dr. Shaef Ezzi Sageer said that the Heath Minister was looking into ways to eradicate the spread of the disease through the intensification of activities of epidemiological surveillance, registration and treatment of the cases, sending outreach teams to the areas in which the cases were registered in order to supervise on the medical process.