Thousands of individuals in Yemen have been diagnosed with dengue fever which officials are calling an outbreak.
Here are five notes:
1. Approximately 5,000 individuals have been diagnosed with the virus, which is spreading due to the influx of uncollected garbage in addition to the untreated sewage and heat.
2. A reported 3,000 suspected cases have been cited since March including three fatalities.
3. Dengue virus causes fevers, headaches and rashes with potentially lethal cases occurring mainly in children. The more serious cases of dengue experience abdominal pain, vomiting and difficulty breathing.
4. Yemen experienced a similar dengue outbreak in 2011 with over 1,500 confirmed cases in the western Hodeida governorate.
5. With Yemen utilizing many of its financial resources toward the fight against terrorism, many are concerned the dengue virus not being prioritized by officials.
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