Responding to reports in Saudi Gazette that residents of Al-Sanabel in South Jeddah were complaining of mosquitoes breeding in a large swamp in the north of the district and that people were living in fear of contracting dengue fever, the mayoralty has sprayed for mosquitoes and is draining the large body of stagnant water. Saudi Gazette reported on Jan. 21, that Al-Sanabel residents lived in terror of mosquito-borne diseases being spread to their homes and published a photo of the swamp which looked like a large inland sea. The swamp, which was estimated to contain more than 6,000 cubic meters of water and to be 10 meters deep in January, is today completely changed as a result of mayoralty's decision to use water tankers to drain the stagnant water. Upon a visit to the site on April 20, Saudi Gazette found that in three months the insect-ridden swamp had been almost completely drained and that the area was being developed for a housing project. “A few months ago, a local English newspaper reported the suffering of the residents from mosquitoes. After that, I saw municipality workers coming here to spray for dengue fever,” a water tanker driver, who was draining the swamp, told Saudi Gazette. Other workers said: “When we came here three months ago, we found the swamp filled with mosquitoes. We couldn't work because we were scared of getting dengue fever.” Meanwhile, dengue fever continues to spread in other parts of the city. Okaz Arabic daily reported Tuesday that 132 cases of dengue fever were confirmed in Jeddah over the last week, a record seven-day figure for the city that brings the total number of cases since the beginning of 2010 to 810. The figures appear in a report presented by the committee tasked with eradicating dengue fever to the governor's office on Monday. The report focused on the city's most affected districts, named as Ghulail, Mada'in Al-Fahd and Kilo 6. According to the report, the record number represents the highest weekly figure for over six months as well as an unprecedented rise, and analysts said it required “immediate action”. The Mayor's Office has reportedly attributed the rise to a failure in coordination between authorities responsible for tackling dengue, and a similar lack of organized coordination with Health Affairs, the body responsible for monitoring the spread of the illness. Municipality Council member Bassam Akhdar said the mayoralty had “failed to eradicate it” and spoke of “increasing concerns in the public”. “Even my private secretary contracted it,” Akhdar said. “The situation will continue as long as the Misk Lake continues to rise and provide the perfect breeding ground for Dengue-bearing mosquitoes,” he said. “I have repeatedly voiced my concerns over the imminent public health danger posed by the Misk Lake, but have had no response.” Akhdar also criticized delays in sewer works that, he said, had resulted in a “notable increase in insects and rodents”. However, it is not only residents of outlying areas of the city who are contracting the disease. Students and workers of Jeddah Educational College for Women have complained about the spread of mosquitoes in the college. One of the college workers, Fatoom Jaber, said that she often found a large number of mosquitoes swarming around the trees when she walked to her office in the college. “Every day when I went to college, I found mosquitoes, and later on, I developed a very high fever,” Jaber said. “At the hospital the test results said that I had dengue fever. Although I had suspected it, I was still shocked when I heard the news.” Dr. Majed Al-Shehri, who treated Jaber, confirmed that he sees two or three dengue fever cases at the hospital every week, adding that “most of them are not severe cases and can be treated.” Dr. Sami Basawood, Director of Jeddah Health Affairs told Saudi Gazette that staff of the dengue fever awareness program have visited more than 500,000 homes here, distributing flyers and brochures available in seven different languages. Although Health Affairs is working around-the-clock to increase public awareness, they are facing a number of difficulties. “Language is one of our main problems, which is why we use the services of translators to help us get our message across. Another problem is that some residents move frequently which creates confusion in our database,” he said. Badawood added that common symptoms for dengue fever include a high temperature and severe headache, muscle and joint pains. “These symptoms will appear one week to ten days after the patient has been bitten by a mosquito carrying the disease,” he said.
