UAE hospitals prepare for more typhoid and dengue cases post-record rainfall

Healthcare providers and hospitals in the UAE are readying themselves for an uptick in patients seeking treatment for illnesses linked to heavy rains and stagnant water. These conditions encompass diseases like typhoid, bacterial infections, and mosquito- and fly-borne illnesses such as dengue.

The recent unprecedented rainfall has resulted in extensive flooding across various roads and neighborhoods, with residents navigating through water levels reaching waist and knee depths. Efforts are underway by authorities to drain flooded areas continuously.

The incubation period for these illnesses begins shortly after exposure to contaminated water. Symptoms typically include diarrhea, nausea, dehydration, mild fever, acute sickness, and, in severe cases, loss of consciousness.

The potential of stagnant water to become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other insects, which can transmit diseases like dengue, malaria, yellow fever, and Zika, although the latter two are not prevalent in the UAE.

As contaminated water and improper drainage create conditions conducive to the spread of diseases. Common ailments include typhoid, dysentery, amoebiasis, hepatitis, bacterial infections, and the rise of mosquito- and fly-borne diseases like dengue, especially in densely populated areas near construction sites.

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