UPDATE ON DENGUE FEVER OUTBREAK IN YEMEN: 133

UNCLAS SANAA 001031

SIPDIS

STATE - PLEASE PASS TO CDC. AMMAN - PLEASE PASS TO JOCK
WHITTLESLEY.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO AMED YM
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DENGUE FEVER OUTBREAK IN YEMEN: 133
CONFIRMED CASES

REF: SANAA 478


1. As of April 17, The World Health Organization (WHO) has
detected 84 cases of dengue fever in the Hadramawt
governorate since the outbreak began in late December. These
cases of dengue fever occurred in the port city of Mukulla
and on the Hadramawt coastline along the Indian Ocean. Added
to 49 confirmed cases in Hodeidah, this brings the total
count to at least 133 confirmed dengue cases in Yemen since
the start of the outbreak.


2. WHO Representative to Yemen Dr. Hashim al-Zein reports
that a WHO epidemiology team visited the Hadramawt April 5 to

11. According to the team, there are no confirmed deaths or
incidents of haemorragic fever, a potentially fatal
complication of dengue fever, in the Hadramawt area. Of the
84 confirmed cases, 12 cases were detected in the major city
of Mukulla, 66 were in Al-Hami, a small town 82 kilometers
northeast of Mukulla, and a handful in other small villages.


3. Children between the ages of five to 14 comprise 54
percent of the cases, and 60 percent of the cases were male.
The most common symptoms were: fever (100 percent),joint
pain without swelling (athralgia, 78 percent),muscle pain
(myalgia, 60 percent) and pain behind the eyes (retro-orbital
pain, 30 percent). The Yemeni Ministry of Health is relying
on information from WHO and has no further information to
report on the outbreak.


3. Post released a March 7 warden message warning American
citizens to avoid travel to Hodeidah due to the dengue fever
outbreak. Post will amend the warden message to include the
Hadramawt per recent developments.
Krajeski