JEDDAH — The Director of Jeddah Health Affairs Directorate Dr. Sami Badawood stressed on the difficulty of completely eradicating dengue fever, but assured the public that Saudi hospitals are highly capable of handling dengue cases. “Currently all our hospitals are highly qualified and more capable of dealing with dengue cases, compared to five years ago,” he said. Dengue is a seasonal virus that increases with rain and stagnant waters. Treatment centers in the dengue-affected regions are reinforced with experts and the necessary equipment. There is high-level coordination with Jeddah Municipality to spray pesticides at locations of reported dengue cases, which has had a positive impact. Latest statistics show that there were 27 cases of dengue, compared to more than 100 in past years. Spokesman for Jeddah Municipality, Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Nahari, said that spraying pesticides is a continuing task. Spraying operations are intensified inside houses and neighborhoods with reported stagnant waters.
