Dengue alert in Jeddah: 252 cases detected in one week

An increase in the funding to tackle dengue fever has been recommended as 252 cases were recorded here last week.
Director General of Health Affairs in Jeddah, Dr. Sami Badawood said a ministerial meeting discussed preventive measures to deal with the epidemic-like situation.
The meeting recommended allocation of extra funds for preventive campaign, raising awareness levels on the issue and to take precautionary measures.
Badawood said: “All the affected citizens are undergoing treatment under supervision of the Ministry of Health.”
He added: “I need not mention that construction works and building projects being carried out in the city depend on open sources of water in their operations which make them perfect hubs for mosquitoes.”
The main problem facing the ministry in its efforts to combat the fever, Badawood explained, is the isolated locations that are difficult or cannot be accessed.
Sultan Al-Qahtani, director of the Municipality’s Crisis Management Department, said earlier that the main reason for the spread of the disease was the human population. “A large number of construction sites are overcrowded with stagnant water all over, making it a perfect setting for mosquito breeding,” he said.