IMPORTED MALARIA TO MAKKAH DISTRICT, SAUDI ARABIA: IS THERE ANY RISK OF LOCAL TRANSMISSION?

In Makkah, Saudi Arabia, there is an impending risk of imported malaria. This risk comes from the fact that millions of people, in majority from tropical and subtropical countries where malaria is endemic, visit the country to perform Hajj and Umrah every year. Moreover, millions of expatriates from endemic countries come to Makkah for work. Likewise, many Saudi citizens travel to endemic areas overseas for business and pleasure. We performed a retrospective analysis of all reported malaria cases in Makkah region, Saudi Arabia for years 2014 and 2015. In addition, sorting of mosquito populations in Makkah region was undertaken. Based on national data regarding reported malaria cases, 235 malaria cases were recorded in years 2014 and 2015. Of the reported cases 232 were non-Saudi and only 3 cases were Saudi. Those recorded Saudi cases were just returning from a travel to an endemic area. Most of the cases (79.6%) were P. falciprum and the remaining was P. vivax. Infected male represent 62% and female represent 38%. Age of the majority of reported cases (71.5%) lie between 31 and 50 years. Most of reported cases were from Chad, Pakistan, Nigeria and Sudan. Sorting of mosquito populations revealed the absence of malaria vectors in Makkah District.