Dengue fever outbreak kills 39 in Sudan’s Blue Nile, doctors’ union says

July 24, 2026 (ED DAMAZIN) – A dengue fever outbreak has spread rapidly across Sudan’s Blue Nile region, leaving 39 people dead and more than 300 infected, the Preliminary Committee of the Sudan Doctors Union said on Friday.

Dengue fever is a viral infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes. Infection rates typically surge during the rainy season, as stagnant water provides ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Containing the spread relies on vector control, improved water and sanitation services, early diagnosis, and prompt treatment.

Adeeba Ibrahim Al-Sayyid, a member of the doctors’ committee and an internal medicine and epidemiology specialist, told Sudan Tribune that the committee tracked 350 confirmed dengue cases across the Blue Nile region, including 76 in Ed Damazin, the regional capital.

Al-Sayyid added that the death toll in the region reached 39, with 13 fatalities recorded in Ed Damazin and 26 in other towns and villages across the far southeastern state.

She attributed the spike in cases to deteriorating environmental sanitation, contaminated water sources, and heavy mosquito proliferation during the rainy season.

The specialist urged immediate preventive measures, including providing safe drinking water, covering water storage containers, draining standing pools, and spraying homes day and night to eradicate mosquito vectors.

Al-Sayyid called on the Health Ministry to supply essential medicines and medical supplies to combat the epidemic. She also urged authorities to temporarily restrict interstate travel to slow the spread, warning that population movement risks expanding the outbreak.

Dengue outbreaks recur frequently in Sudan during the autumn rains, particularly in states struggling with weak water and sanitation infrastructure.

Health organizations note that ongoing conflict and massive displacement have further strained the national health system, severely limiting the capacity of authorities to contain and respond to epidemics.