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SANA?A, August 18 ? Over 2,000 suspected cases of dengue fever have been reported in Shabwa governorate, 474 km east of the capital Sana,?a, a source from the health office in the governorate told local press on Sunday.
The source said that one of the cases had passed away, while 309 out of 2,200 suspected cases were confirmed positive. The source complained that the Ministry of Health is ignoring the increasing number of cases and taking no action.
Many Yemeni governorates are witnessing the spread of this epidemic including Taiz, Aden, Abyan, Lahj and Shabwa, according to a June 2010 report issued by the ministry.
Marshes resulting from rain and the leakage of sewage are the main causes for the spread of mosquitoes that are transmitting the epidemic, according to the heath official.
In July, the government reported that dengue fever had claimed the lives of 12 people in Hadramout and 1,142 were infected with the disease. A Saudi medical team visited Hadramout in June and said the lack of modern testing equipment complicated diagnostic efforts.
?A diagnostic machine that can trace the virus in the blood from the first day of infection is not available in Hadramout. Doctors depend on the count of antibodies in the blood, which appear only seven days after infection,? the medical team reported.
Doctors and residents in affected areas have complained about the Health Ministry?s lack of attention to the outbreak. The ministry is riddled with corruption and is often ineffective and negligent during public health crises, officials in Shabwa told the local press.
In April, a hospital director in Taiz died from the disease, two months after the outbreak was reported to the Health Ministry. The Health Ministry made no efforts to prevent the spread of the disease in Taiz, generating public protests that were broken up by police.
There are some medical facilities in some districts, but they are under-equipped and lack electricity.
Dengue fever is transmitted by mosquitoes and education campaigns should highlight the danger of stagnant water, open containers of liquid and standing rainfall in areas where mosquitoes breed.
The source said that one of the cases had passed away, while 309 out of 2,200 suspected cases were confirmed positive. The source complained that the Ministry of Health is ignoring the increasing number of cases and taking no action.
Many Yemeni governorates are witnessing the spread of this epidemic including Taiz, Aden, Abyan, Lahj and Shabwa, according to a June 2010 report issued by the ministry.
Marshes resulting from rain and the leakage of sewage are the main causes for the spread of mosquitoes that are transmitting the epidemic, according to the heath official.
In July, the government reported that dengue fever had claimed the lives of 12 people in Hadramout and 1,142 were infected with the disease. A Saudi medical team visited Hadramout in June and said the lack of modern testing equipment complicated diagnostic efforts.
?A diagnostic machine that can trace the virus in the blood from the first day of infection is not available in Hadramout. Doctors depend on the count of antibodies in the blood, which appear only seven days after infection,? the medical team reported.
Doctors and residents in affected areas have complained about the Health Ministry?s lack of attention to the outbreak. The ministry is riddled with corruption and is often ineffective and negligent during public health crises, officials in Shabwa told the local press.
In April, a hospital director in Taiz died from the disease, two months after the outbreak was reported to the Health Ministry. The Health Ministry made no efforts to prevent the spread of the disease in Taiz, generating public protests that were broken up by police.
There are some medical facilities in some districts, but they are under-equipped and lack electricity.
Dengue fever is transmitted by mosquitoes and education campaigns should highlight the danger of stagnant water, open containers of liquid and standing rainfall in areas where mosquitoes breed.
