Official reports revealed that there are over 1200 suspected cases of dengue fevers in Shabwa districts following the outbreak of the disease early June.

According to media reports, dozens have died by the disease since the advent of this year. Experts believe that ignorance, lack of awareness and treatment methods are responsible for the increased number of cases.

They add that dengue fever is treated in most Yemeni hospitals as if it is a normal fever and this could be a factor in increasing the number of victims.  

The total number of registered and suspected cases could reach over 2,000 nationwide. Most cases were registered in Shabwa province, followed by a number of new cases in Al-Hodeidah, Mocha, Rayma, Lahj and Al-Dhal'e.

In return, the Ministry of Health sent field teams for surveillance to the infected areas. It also sent large teams for combating the outbreak of the epidemic in Shabwa.

Dengue fever is a virus disease which has been spread in more than 100 countries across the globe since the middle of the last century.

Background

Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection caused by one of the four dengue viruses. A severe form of the disease, dengue hemorrhagic fever, is most serious in children.

Symptoms appear three to 14 days after the infective bite and range from mild fever to incapacitating high fever, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain and rashes.

This infectious disease is manifested by a sudden onset of fever, with severe headache, muscle and joint pains (myalgias and arthralgias—severe pain gives it the name break-bone fever or bonecrusher disease) and rashes. The dengue rash is characteristically bright red petechiae and usually appears first on the lower limbs and the chest; in some patients, it spreads to cover most of the body. There may also be gastritis with some combination of associated abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

Other symptoms include fever, bladder problems, constant headaches, severe dizziness, loss of appetite, uncontrollable laughing and extreme constipation.