MUSCAT – As part of the intensive campaign implemented by the Muscat Municipality in cooperation with the Ministry of Health to combat Aedes mosquito, Dr. Adel bin Saeed Al-Wahaibi, Director of the Epidemiological Surveillance Department at the Ministry of Health, stressed on the importance of community awareness and collaborative efforts. Al Wahaibi confirmed that cases of dengue fever have been recorded in the Sultanate of Oman, but stated that 90% of them were not patient-related and also that no other fevers caused by the Aedes mosquito were recorded in the country.

He explained that the Aedes mosquito is present in various governorates of the Oman except for Al Wusta Governorate. He pointed out that it has been found in most wilayats of the Muscat Governorate, and added that it causes viral fevers, which the mosquito transmits from an infected person to a healthy person, leading to dengue fever, yellow fever, Zika disease, and chikungunya, all of which are dangerous.
This mosquito also breeds in small bowls filled with water that are used for birds, large vases that are not cleaned continuously, and any manmade water bodies in which the mosquito breeds. Al-Wahaibi pointed out that most of the breeding sites of the Aedes mosquito are close to humans, and stated that it is very easy to get rid of this mosquito if citizens and residents alike make concerted efforts to eliminate breeding sites of the Aedes mosquito.

He also confirmed that the Ministry of Health is following up on reports from public and private hospitals and health centers about the presence of diseases that this mosquito may transmit. With regard to insect surveillance, he indicated that the Ministry of Health conducted a comprehensive survey of disease vectors through the national survey, which included all governorates and relied on the breeding sites of the Aedes mosquito. Additionally, insect traps were distributed in various regions, especially those in which the Aedes mosquito had spread before. Al-Wahaibi added that the Ministry of Health continuously monitors this mosquito, its breeding sites and its spread, in addition to checking any diseases that may be caused by this mosquito, while the municipalities carry out control operations to halt the spread of the Aedes mosquito.