Dengue fever: Nearly 1,700 houses covered in first week of insecticide spraying drive

Muscat: The Ministry of Health’s General Directorate for Disease Surveillance and Control launched a campaign to combat the Aedes mosquitos in association with the Muscat Municipality. The campaign is covering areas like Al Ghubra, Al Ansab, and South of Al Hail in the Muscat Governorate.

Aedes mosquitoes cause dengue fever. The campaign began on March 27 to improve environmental sanitation and combat the spread of the ‘Aedes aegypti’ mosquitoes in vulnerable areas.

The number of houses covered under the campaign reached 1,690 in the first week of the campaign. The campaign sites included Al Ghubra, Al Ansab, and South of Al Hail. In Wilayat Al Ghubra, about 1,231 houses were covered, in Al Ansab, about 245, and in South of Al Hail about 205. The campaign consists of two teams, the first to investigate the disease and places where this type of insect spread, and is affiliated with the Ministry of Health. The second is to get rid of the insect permanently by spraying pesticides and filling swamps and ponds, which are breeding grounds for the insect.

Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Symptoms of dengue fever include fever, headache, general fatigue, joint pain, skin rash, and digestive upset.

People who get the symptoms of dengue should immediately go to the nearest health institution and start treatment as per the doctor’s advice.

On March 29, at the MoH press conference, Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health, said: “In order not to create the appropriate environment for the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, we appeal to citizens and residents to get rid of the places where there is an accumulation of water near their homes. In the last update, the number of registered cases of dengue fever reached 17 in the Wilayat of Bausher, 7 in the Wilayat of Seeb, and two in the Wilayat of Al Amerat.”

Muscat Municipality told people to adopt precautions like avoiding exposure to mosquito bites, wearing long-sleeved clothes, covering the body, using mosquito repellent on the exposed body parts and covering windows with nets to protect against mosquitoes.