Spread of Dengue Fever in Northern Provinces; Ministry of Health Lacks Access to Vaccine

An official from the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Health emphasized on Tuesday, July 9, that "Dengue Fever" is currently the most important health issue, announcing that this contagious fever has infected dozens in Hormozgan, Sistan and Baluchestan, especially in Chabahar, Bushehr, Khuzestan, Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan provinces. According to the government news agency ISNA, Dr. Shahnameh Arshi, head of the Ministry of Health's Center for Communicable Disease Management, claimed that "9 local cases of Dengue Fever have been reported" and added that "cases of Dengue Fever have also been recorded in Shiraz, Mashhad, Qazvin, and Qom, all of which were imported from the UAE." He warned about the spread of this disease in other provinces, stating: "Although the Aedes mosquito has not been caught in Mazandaran and Golestan provinces, these two provinces are also at risk." Additionally, Dr. Saeed Karimi, Deputy for Treatment at the Ministry of Health, announced that "63 new cases" of Dengue Fever have been reported and that "30 percent" of individuals who visited medical centers with severe bone pain and high fever were infected with Dengue Fever. Previously, a health official reported 122 cases of Dengue Fever and three deaths across the country. The head of the Center for Communicable Disease Management stated regarding the possibility of using a Dengue vaccine that "in Southeast Asia and America, the Dengue vaccine is undergoing clinical trials. However, it is not suitable for the current conditions of the country because the vaccine must be compatible with the characteristics of the mosquito." He further emphasized that "this issue is not unique to Iran, and the Dengue vaccine is not available to all countries, with some countries undergoing clinical trials." Arshi discussed the main vector of this fever, the Aedes mosquito, stating that biologically, this insect can transmit four diseases: "Chikungunya," "Yellow Fever," "Zika," and "Dengue Fever." Although the Aedes mosquito can transmit four diseases, the malaria mosquito can only transmit one disease, which is malaria. The head of the Center for Communicable Disease Management described the physical characteristics of the Aedes mosquito and its differences from ordinary mosquitoes, saying that "if someone manages to see the Aedes mosquito under a magnifying glass, they will see its white stripes. Ordinary mosquitoes do not have white stripes; therefore, if the Aedes mosquito is placed under a magnifying glass, its white stripes are visible." Previously, Tedros Adhanom, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, recommended the use of the vaccine produced by the Japanese company Takeda for Dengue Fever, which was released to the market in 1402 (2023). This vaccine, named "Q Dengue," has been approved in the European Union and in countries where this disease is prevalent, such as Indonesia and Brazil. The Aedes mosquito, which causes diseases like Dengue Fever, also thrives in the warm regions of Iran, and the outbreak of this disease in various areas has repeatedly made headlines, drawing attention to the quality of methods for controlling and monitoring Aedes mosquitoes in Iran and the availability of sufficient funding for this purpose. The increase in the number of Dengue Fever patients in Iran; Keyvan Zandi: We must prevent the gathering of the invasive mosquito. Explanations by Dr. Keyvan Zandi about the causes of the spread of Dengue Fever in Iran; fever and severe headache are initial symptoms. Dengue Fever has reached Isfahan; 122 cases reported nationwide and 3 deaths.