Mosquito vectors of infectious diseases: are they neglected health disaster in Egypt?

In spite of the great technological progress achieved worldwide, still arthropod borne infectious diseases is a puzzle disturbing the health authorities. Among these arthropods, mosquitoes from medical, veterinary and economic point of view top all groups. They are estimated to transmit disease to more than 700 million people annually worldwide mainly in Africa, South America, Central America, Mexico and much of Asia with millions of deaths. In Europe, Russia, Greenland, Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and other temperate and developed countries, mosquito bites are now mostly an irritating nuisance; but still cause some deaths each year. Mosquito-borne diseases include Malaria, West Nile Virus, Elephantiasis, Rift Valley Fever, Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever and Dog Heart- worm…etc. Apart from diseases transmission, mosquitoes can make human life miserable. The successful long term mosquito control requires the ecological and biological knowledge of where and how they develop. The importance of mosquitoes is given herein to clarify the problem and to think together what one must do?

Rift valley fever in Saudi Arabia

A 40 year old Saudi man, a fire fighter by profession and resident in Najran, was diagnosed with Rift Valley fever on 28 April 2010. On 23 April, he presented with clinical signs of haemorrhagic fever to a health facility in Najran run by the Ministry of Health. He was hospitalized on the same day and his blood sample was sent to the Central Public Health Laboratory [Riyadh] and tested for various viral haemorrhagic fevers. The sample tested positive for Rift Valley Fever [RVF] on real time RT-PCR. Serological tests for Rift Valley fever virus IgM and IgG were negative. The patient recovered from his illness and was discharged from the hospital on 30 April 2010

An outbreak of rift valley fever in Sudan

During the period between 15 September 2007 till 15 January 2008, a total of 688 human cases of Rift Valley Fever [RVF] were reported from six states in the Sudan [White Nile, Gezira, Sinnar, Khartoum, River Nile and Kassala], including 222 deaths [CFR of 32.1%.]. Gezira State, which is known to have rich irrigation system and high mosquito density, reported more than 60% of cases. The outbreak was first reported from White Nile State, among semi-nomadic population then expanded to other states. In response to this outbreak, a joint team of Ministry of Health, Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries [MARF], WHO and FAO investigated the outbreak; appropriate preventive and control measures were instituted. Newly reported cases presented with ocular manifestation, a typical late-occurring feature of RVF infection. While active surveillance continues in all affected states, other than Gezira, no new cases have been reported since 5 January 2008