saudi arabia and dengue fever

Globalization and the Spread of Viruses

Globalization has had a major economic and social effect on the planet. As a part of globalization, countries have been able to trade with one another. These, though, have come with their own set of challenges. The main issue that has arisen as a result of this phenomenon is the ease with which viruses and other pathogens can spread very quickly. As a result, most countries and economic blocs have developed strategies to defend themselves from such epidemics. This paper explores the effects of the dengue fever epidemic that spread through the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The measures put in place by the government to prevent any potential issues would also be scrutinized.

Dengue Fever: Symptoms and Spread

Dengue fever is caused by the dengue virus. It’s a tropical disease which originated from countries in the tropical region. Its signs and symptoms include among others; muscle pains, headache, rash, fever, and conjunctivitis (Gubler, 2002). The virus found many countries unprepared, and many health scholars have opined that its dangers exceed those of zika virus and Ebola. The spread of the virus was facilitated by the international travel of foreign visitors. The government of Saudi Arabia as such came up with policies to governing mobility of people to curb calamities that would arise from viruses.

Policies to Prevent Spread of Diseases

The major policy is that all national visitors getting into the country must be screened for various diseases. This will ensure that those people who have contagious diseases are separated from others to prevent the spreading. Another rule which was adopted is immunization of all Arabian citizens traveling abroad (Amarasinghe & Letson, 2012). These will ensure that they do not come back with viruses contracted while in the destination countries.

Curbing the Spread of Dangerous Diseases

Globalization has made the world vulnerable to pertinent issues like the viruses discussed above. States should adopt a bipartisan approach to curbing the spread of such dangerous diseases. Funding should also be directed towards research on the arising diseases so that a permanent solution can be found.

References

Amarasinghe, A., & Letson, G. (2012). Dengue in the Middle East: A neglected, emerging disease of importance. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 106(1), 1-2.

Gubler, D. J. (2002). Epidemic dengue/dengue hemorrhagic fever as public health, the social and economic problem in the 21st century. Trends in Microbiology, 10(2), 100-103.