NewsDesk @bactiman63

Health officials in South Darfur, Sudan, reported on one dengue fever case and eight chikungunya cases recently, according to a Dabanga report.

Sudan map/CIA

Director of the Emergency and Epidemiology Department at the Ministry of Health in North Darfur State, Dr Abbas Shams El Din said most of the cases were registered in various localities in Nyala.

In addition, he said one case was infected with dengue fever and chikungunya at the same time.

Recent flooding in Sudan may be a leading cause of the recent cases, as poor sanitation and contamination of drinking water are blamed for the spread of diseases such as chikungunya.

Dengue is a disease caused by a virus spread through mosquito bites. The disease can take up to 2 weeks to develop with illness generally lasting less than a week.

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Health effects from dengue include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, rash, muscle and joint pain, and minor bleeding.

Dengue can become severe within a few hours. Severe dengue is a medical emergency, usually requiring hospitalization.

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans through the bites of mosquitoes infected with the chikungunya virus.

It was first described during an outbreak in southern Tanzania in 1952 and has now been identified in nearly 40 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and, most recently, the Americas. Symptoms usually begin 4 to 8 days after a mosquito bite but can appear anywhere from 2 to 12 days.

The most common symptom is an abrupt onset of fever, often accompanied by joint pain. Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, and rash. Severe joint pain usually lasts a few days but can persist for months or even years. Serious complications are uncommon, but atypical severe cases can cause long-term symptoms and even death, especially in older people.

There is currently no vaccine or specific drug against the virus.