‘Rampant Dengue fever’ in Darfur states

The Federal Ministry of Health reported a high number of people infected with Dengue fever in Darfur states, amounting to 203 confirmed cases as of Monday. 83 people reportedly died in West Darfur state.

The director of the Ministry's epidemiology department, Babiker El Magboul pointed out that the average of daily reported cases was reduced to 2 to 4 cases per day. He claimed, however, that the spread of infections has reached “an epidemic stage”: “Two deaths were recorded over the past week, they were diagnosed for Dengue fever and malaria.”

A team of international experts of the World Health Organization (WHO) has arrived in Khartoum on Sunday, to assess the health situation and medical needs in Darfur states.

The West Darfur Minister of Health, Hisham Nurein, reported a high number of fatal and confirmed cases: 83 people have died from Dengue fever in the state. Most of them (75) died in Kereinik locality, seven in El Geneina, and one in Habila.

The number of confirmed and suspected Dengue cases has risen to 127 people, Nurein reported, including 19 suspected cases in El Geneina and one in Habila. 107 cases were reported in Kereinik.

The State Minister said that his Ministry has researched mosquitoes in Ardamata and El Geneina administrative regions. Furthermore, a technical committee has been formed, aimed at containing the infections.

In a press statement on Sunday, the under-secretary Sudanese Ministry of Health explained that Dengue fever is caused by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is responsible for the transmission of Yellow fever and Dengue fever. He announced that medical teams were sent to Darfur to investigate the cases and provide treatment.