Stage set for Saudi Arabia to bring menace of dengue under control

The arrival of infections from dengue-prone countries in Asia remains a concern for Saudi Arabia’s health authorities. (AFP)
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Updated 26 March 2022
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Stage set for Saudi Arabia to bring menace of dengue under control

  • Mosquito-borne illness is prevalent in the western region, most notably in Jeddah and Makkah
  • Development of effective vaccines key to controlling dengue in countries where it is endemic

JEDDAH: While the world has been preoccupied with fighting the COVID-19 pandemic for the past two years, other life-threatening viruses and diseases have continued to spread.

One of them is dengue, a mosquito-borne virus that causes an illness that in its most extreme form can be fatal. According to experts, urgent action is needed to bring it under control.

Dengue is mostly found in tropical and subtropical regions, and millions of cases of infection are reported worldwide each year. It is most common in Southeast Asia, the Western Pacific, Latin America and Africa but it has been spreading to other regions, cropping up in localized outbreaks in Europe and southern parts of the US.

Transmitted to humans by a number of species of female mosquitoes, dengue has an incubation period of between four and 10 days. Once infected, the patient becomes the primary carrier and can transmit the disease for an average of five days. A mosquito can infect several people during its peak feeding hours of early morning and before dusk.

The result can be severe flu-like symptoms, including a high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea and vomiting, that can last for seven days.

Most cases are mild but those who recover from dengue and are reinfected can suffer much more severe symptoms, including internal bleeding and organ damage. Women who contract the virus during pregnancy run the risk of passing it on to their babies.

Dengue has been present in Saudi Arabia for more than two decades and is endemic during the rainy season, between April and September. It is particularly prevalent in the western region, most notably in Jeddah and Makkah.

The emergence of dengue in the Kingdom can be traced back to 1993-94 when an isolated case was first detected in Jeddah. Years of surveillance, epidemiological tracking, prevention and control measures have helped lower the proliferation of the mosquitoes that spread the virus but it nevertheless remains a significant challenge for health authorities.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries, mainly in tropical and subtropical zones, were reeling from the effects of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, yellow fever, West Nile virus and Zika.

Measures designed to curb the spread of such diseases had been making progress globally. But within months of the coronavirus outbreak, medical personnel were redeployed to help slow the spread of COVID-19. This resulted in a resurgence of other diseases in areas where they had been under control.

Dengue accounts for nearly 70 percent of the disease burden in Asia, its spread fueled in part by rapid urbanization in recent years. With the recent resumption of international commercial flights as pandemic travel restrictions were lifted, the disease is once again traveling around the globe.

Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s biggest hubs for religious tourism, and authorities in the country consider efforts to bring dengue under control to be of paramount importance.

In 2019, the Kingdom was among the countries that recorded some of the highest rates of the disease. In 2018 alone, 6,345 dengue cases were confirmed, mostly in Jeddah.

Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, studies show there was a steep reduction in dengue cases in Saudi Arabia over the past two years, attributed to a collaborative effort by government agencies involved in vector surveillance and control. In public health, vectors are the living organisms that transmit diseases between humans or from animals to humans.




More research is needed to overcome the annual dengue epidemic in Saudi Arabi, said Abdullah Algaissi. (Supplied)

“Though dengue is still endemic in some cities and countries around the world, in Makkah, for example, dengue is reported at low levels as a result of several measures that have been taken to decrease its mode of transmission,” Dr. Osamah Barasheed, deputy chief public health officer at Makkah Health Cluster, told Arab News.

“Health education in homes and public areas by the Ministry of Health to increase awareness about dengue played an important role in preventing its spread.”

Municipal authorities in Makkah have also been working to reduce numbers of mosquitoes through sanitation campaigns and the disinfection of sites where they commonly breed.

Studies indicate the spread of dengue in Saudi Arabia has been fueled by several factors, including poor sanitation in some urban districts and the arrival of migrant workers and religious pilgrims from dengue-prone areas of the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.

“Dengue is still under control,” said Barasheed. “Health-education departments in vector-borne and zoonotic diseases (infectious diseases transmitted from animals to humans) administrations at (the Ministry of Health) play a major role in fighting and reducing the spread of dengue cases by their awareness activities in the community.”

SYMPTOMS OF DENGUE

• High fever of 104 F

• Headaches

• Muscle, bone or joint pain

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Pain behind the eyes

• Swollen glands

• Rash

Dr. Abdullah Algaissi, a virologist and assistant professor at Jazan University, told Arab News that dengue research in the Kingdom currently focuses on three key areas: understanding of the immune response to dengue infection; the severity of the disease; and control measures and the development of safe and effective vaccines and antivirals.

Saudi universities are prioritizing the issue and considerable efforts are being made to develop a vaccine.

“There are several vaccine candidates currently under development,” said Algaissi. “Dengvaxia is one vaccine that has been approved in some countries but only for certain groups. DENVax is developed by a Japanese pharmaceutical company, Takeda.

“Both vaccines are intended to protect against all four serotypes (distinct variations within a species of bacteria or virus) but there are still some issues.”




Surveillance and prevention are key to curbing the spread of the potentially fatal illness. (AFP)

Research has found that DENVax mainly provides protection against one form of dengue and is less effective against the other three.

Dengvaxia, meanwhile, benefits patients who have previously been infected with the virus. However, a problem with it is that it can cause more severe symptoms in those who have not previously been infected, throwing its efficacy into doubt.

This is related to a phenomenon known as antibody-dependent enhancement of infection, which means that the antibody generated in response to a first infection by one dengue serotype can lead to more severe disease after a subsequent infection with another serotype.

“Dengvaxia is not recommended for individuals who have not been infected with dengue in the past,” said Algaissi. “Some countries have stopped using it because of this, while others approved it only for use in people who were infected and who live in areas where this infection is endemic.”

The US Food and Drug Administration in 2020 approved the use of the vaccine for children between the ages of 9 and 16 who live in areas where the disease is endemic and who have had a previous dengue infection that was confirmed by lab tests.

In addition to vaccine development, another area of dengue research is genetic modification. Luke Alphey from the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford in the UK has developed a technique that hinders the ability of mosquitoes to reproduce. Mosquitoes are produced in the lab that carry a lethal gene. Once released into the wild, they mate with wild species and transfer the deadly gene, which prevents the larva maturing to adulthood.

Clearly, continuing research into the virus and the development of better vaccines hold the key to controlling and, eventually, eliminating dengue from Saudi Arabia.

“Most of the research currently focuses on surveillance and control of the mosquitoes and the virus and the clinical characteristics of the dengue patients,” said Algaissi. “But I hope to see more research on developing effective vaccines and antivirals.”


Ancient Saudi city of Qurh a historic stop for pilgrim and trade caravans 

Updated 6 sec ago
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Ancient Saudi city of Qurh a historic stop for pilgrim and trade caravans 

  • Qurh was the capital of Wadi Al-Qura and a center for Arab markets
  • Architectural features date back to the early Islamic periods

ALULA: Qurh, an ancient city in Saudi Arabia's AlUla governorate, is one of the most prominent historical caravan stops, having served for centuries as a vital hub along the routes of pilgrims and traders, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Located about 20 kilometers south of AlUla's old town, near the village of Mughayra, Qurh is one of the Royal Commission for AlUla's archaeological sites. AlUla's other main heritage sites are Dadan, Hegra and the Old Town. 

Qurh's ruins spread across an expansive plain surrounded by medium-height mountains. The ruins include remnants of architectural structures, marketplaces, streets, and palaces, all of which highlight the city's once-thriving economic and urban life. 

The ruins include remnants of architectural structures, marketplaces, streets, and palaces, all of which highlight the city's once-thriving economic and urban life.  (SPA)

Architectural features dating back to the early Islamic periods also suggest that settlement and cultural growth continued after the advent of Islam.

Known for its commercial activity since pre-Islamic times, Qurh was the capital of Wadi Al-Qura and a center for Arab markets, as described by the historian Hisham ibn al-Kalbi, who identified it as a commercial and cultural center and a cradle of the arts.

The city was located on the route of the historic Incense Road, a trade artery used to transport precious goods from the southern Arabian Peninsula to the north, passing through Wadi Al-Qura. 

The ruins include remnants of architectural structures, marketplaces, streets, and palaces, all of which highlight the city's once-thriving economic and urban life.  (SPA)

According to Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, the RCA's vice president for culture, the excavations in Qurh have so far proved "that there was some interaction with China at the beginning of the Islamic period."

"Evidence exists of interactions and trade extending as far as China. With the China, for example, merchants who brought porcelain, medicines and silk to Arabia with incense for sure, ivory, while other valuables travelled in the opposite directions," he said in an interview produced by FT Longitude in partnership with The Royal Commission for AlUla.  

AlUla, at present part of Saudi Arabia's western province of Madinah, has been home throughout history to the ancient Dadanites, Lihyanites, Nabataeans, Sabaeans, Minoans, Egyptian, Romans and Arabs. 


Saudi defense minister holds talks with UK security, defense officials

Updated 29 May 2025
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Saudi defense minister holds talks with UK security, defense officials

  • Prince Khalid bin Salman and UK National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell discussed strategic partnership between the two countries

LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held talks with the UK’s National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell in London on Wednesday.

The two sides “reviewed the strong friendship and strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the UK,” the Saudi Press Agency reported. “They also reviewed areas of cooperation and discussed regional and global developments, as well as ongoing efforts to support security and stability.”

The talks followed a meeting on Tuesday between Prince Khalid and British Defense Secretary John Healey during which they discussed strategic defense cooperation.


Saudi Embassy coordinating with Turkiye to find boy who fell into a creek

Updated 28 May 2025
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Saudi Embassy coordinating with Turkiye to find boy who fell into a creek

  • The embassy coordinated with child’s family after he reportedly went missing in a river in Trabzon province
  • Turkish authorities are investigating the incident

ANKARA: The Saudi Arabian Embassy in Turkiye confirmed on Wednesday that it is coordinating with Turkish authorities to search for a Saudi child who reportedly fell into Haldizen Creek in Uzungol region.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the embassy issued a statement clarifying the reports circulating in media outlets and across social media platforms regarding the incident in Trabzon province.

“From the first moments of the incident, the embassy coordinated with the child’s family and contacted the relevant Turkish authorities to investigate the incident,” the statement said.

“The authorities have responded and are gratefully conducting extensive searches in the area and its surrounding to locate the child. We ask God Almighty to crown these efforts with success and to protect everyone from all harm,” it added.


Founding nations sign Global Water Organization charter in Riyadh

Updated 28 May 2025
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Founding nations sign Global Water Organization charter in Riyadh

  • Ceremony was attended by Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan, who highlighted the importance of the GWO in tackling water issues worldwide
  • Prince Faisal said that Saudi Arabia would provide financial and logistical support to the GWO for the next five years

RIYADH: The Global Water Organization officially launched operations from its headquarters in Riyadh on Wednesday, with founding member states signing the organization’s charter.

The ceremony was attended by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, who highlighted the importance of the GWO in tackling water issues worldwide through a holistic approach, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

“The launch of the Global Water Organization affirms Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strengthening international initiatives and addressing global challenges through partnerships based on cooperation between countries and governments,” Prince Faisal said.

“The Kingdom looks forward to the organization becoming an international platform that drives sustainable solutions and supports developing nations in enhancing their water capabilities,” he said.

Prince Faisal said that Saudi Arabia would provide financial and logistical support to the GWO for the next five years, emphasizing that collective action was essential to achieving shared objectives. Prince Faisal invited all countries and private-sector entities to join the organization.

Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadley took part in the ceremony and emphasized that the signing of the Global Water Organization’s charter and the launch of its operations from Riyadh reinforced shared international responsibility to preserve water resources.

Al-Fadley added that the importance of the organization stemmed from water being not just a resource, but a source of economic and social development and stability worldwide.

He described the organization as “not just a platform that brings countries together, but a collective global mind working to develop and integrate the efforts of countries and organizations to address water challenges comprehensively.”

“The Global Water Organization will lead international efforts to address water-related challenges and transform traditional water management approaches. These challenges go beyond water scarcity to ensure its availability at the right time and place and recognize its impact on the economy, public health, food security and supply chains, especially in the face of climate change,” he said.

He emphasized the importance of having an integrated system that covered all stages of the water cycle, adopting innovative economic models based on cost-benefit analysis, introducing new financing mechanisms, reducing reliance on government subsidies, and actively involving the private sector.

The GWO’s charter was signed by representatives from founding countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Spain, Senegal, Pakistan, Greece and Mauritania.

The organization aims to strengthen the efforts of countries and organizations to address water challenges.


Saudi FM receives US envoy to Syria in Riyadh

Updated 28 May 2025
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Saudi FM receives US envoy to Syria in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received US envoy to the Syrian Arab Republic Thomas Barrack in Riyadh on Wednesday.

During the meeting, they discussed steps to provide economic, humanitarian and other support to the Syrian people, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji received Ambassador of Italy to the Kingdom Carlo Balducci in Riyadh on Wednesday.

They discussed bilateral relations and other topics of common interest.