title: Dengue epidemiological trend in Oman: a 13-year national surveillance and strategic proposition of imported cases.
abstract: Dengue fever has emerged as a major public health problem globally in the past three decades. A 13-year national surveillance data analysis was done to describe the epidemiology and its trend of dengue disease in Oman reported between 2001 and 2013. Laboratory-confirmed dengue virus infections reported were studied retrospectively during the study period. A total of 64 laboratory confirmed cases were reported. All the patients contracted the disease during their visit to South-East Asian countries, hence classified as imported cases. The majority of the cases were reported in the year 2012 (23.4%). The most important clinical characteristics were fever (90.6%), myalgia (35.9%) and rash/petechial rash (20.3%). Thrombocytopenia was seen in 31.2% of the study subjects. The mortality was nearly 4.6% and all other patients made a full recovery. The most effective measure for travellers is taking precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
authors.affiliation: Senior Consultant Epidemiologist and Communicable Disease Advisor, Office of HE of Health Affairs, Ministry of Health, Oman salah.awaidy@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Salah Thabit
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Al Awaidy
authors.affiliation: Acting Director, Department of Communicable Disease Surveillance & Control, DGHA, Ministry of Health, Oman.
authors.forename: Idris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Al Obeidani
authors.affiliation: Epidemiologist Advisor, Department of Communicable Disease Surveillance & Control, DGHA, Ministry of Health, Oman.
authors.forename: Shyam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bawikar
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Preventable Diseases Surveillance National Focal Point, Department of Communicable Disease Surveillance & Control, DGHA, Ministry of Health, Oman.
authors.forename: Salim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al Mahrouqi
authors.affiliation: Public Health Lab Advisor, Central Public Health Laboratory, DGHA, Ministry of Health, Oman.
authors.forename: Suleiman Salim
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Al Busaidy
authors.affiliation: Head of Virology Section, Central Public Health Laboratory, DGHA, Ministry of Health, Oman.
authors.forename: Said
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al Baqlani
authors.affiliation: Epidemiologist, Department of Communicable Disease Surveillance & Control, DGHA, Ministry of Health, Oman.
authors.forename: Prakash K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003715:Dengue / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D003716:Dengue Virus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009850:Oman / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D057236:Travel Medicine
keywords: Dengue fever; disease control; disease prevention; epidemiology; viral infection