11 diagnosed with dengue in Saudi's Jeddah

Eleven people were diagnosed with dengue until Sunday and 16 more with fever are suspected in Jeddah, a major city in western Saudi Arabia, the General Director of Health Affairs in Jeddah, Sami Badawood, told Al Hayat newspaper on Monday. Screening has been carried out for 19 neighborhoods in the city last week. Residential areas were sprayed against mosquitoes, Dr. Sami said. The first case of dengue in Saudi Arabia was diagnosed in 2005. Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection found in tropical and sub- tropical regions around the world. In recently years, transmission has increased predominantly in urban and semi-urban areas and has become a major international public health concern.