Makkawis complain of dengue misdiagnoses

Ali Al-Naqmi
Okaz/Saudi Gazette

MAKKAH — As dengue fever cases have increased lately in some Makkah neighborhoods, some citizens complain that hospitals are misdiagnosing the cases and are forced to visit other hospitals for the correct diagnosis and medical treatment, Al-Madinah newspaper reported on Saturday.

People should watch out for two symptoms that could indicate that there is a possibility of dengue. Patients experience high temperatures and a blood test should indicate low platelets and white blood cells.

Director of Al-Noor Specialist Hospital in Makkah Dr. Abdulsalam Noor Wali said the hospital receives about 10 suspected cases of dengue fever daily.

A special medical team and additional specialist clinics were readied to deal with the cases.

He added that patients with high temperatures and low platelets are admitted to the hospital for observations for five to seven days.

He said that dengue fever cases have been on the rise for more than one month. Most of the patients come from the neighborhoods of Al-Shawqiyah and Al-Awali.

He called upon the concerned authorities to increase their efforts to combat dengue. He urged people to be more aware, adding that hospitals can focus only on medical treatment.

Forty-seven confirmed and suspected dengue fever cases have recently been reported in Makkah’s Bat’ha neighborhood, health sources told Al-Madinah in a previous statement.

Residents say the neighborhood has been infested with mosquitoes and accused the Makkah municipality of not doing enough to fight mosquito infestations in the area.

Dengue fever is caused by one of four different but related viruses. It is spread by the bite of mosquitoes, most commonly the mosquito Aedes aegypti, which is found in tropic and subtropic regions.

Dengue fever begins with a sudden high fever, four to seven days after the infection. A flat, red rash may appear over most of the body two to five days after the fever starts. A second rash, which looks like the measles, appears later in the disease. Infected people may have increased skin sensitivity and are very uncomfortable. Other symptoms include fatigue, headache, joint and muscle aches, nausea and vomiting.

There is no specific treatment for dengue fever. The disease is not deadly and affected people should generally recover after a week.