Zika virus in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is an Arab state in Western Asia constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia is bordered by Jordan and Iraq to the north, Kuwait to the northeast, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast, and Yemen to the south.
In response to the global scare of Zika virus, Saudi Arabia has increased its efforts to combat the spread of mosquitoes that transmit Zika. Zika awareness campaigns are taken up in cooperation with Municipality, the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Water Company. 45 health centers are monitoring any suspected cases through rapid laboratory diagnosis in the regional laboratory of the Ministry of Health
In February 2016, Saudi Arabia has tested 853 pregnant women in Jeddah for Zika virus. All of them are tested negative.
Noteworthy People
- Dr. Khaled Bin Obaid Bawakd - Assistant director of Health Affairs in Jeddah
- Ali Bin Saeed Al-Sarar - general supervisor of prevention in the Ministry’s Agricultural Services
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