Dengue Fever Outbreak in North AL Batinah Governorate (Oman), January 2023 –December 2023

In the North Batinah Governorate, Sultanate of Oman, a local transmission dengue fever outbreak was examined based on surveillance data from January 1 to December 31, 2023, and containment measures were implemented. This study aimed to determine the sources and factors associated with this outbreak and to recommend countermeasures to prevent future outbreaks. A descriptive analysis was conducted on 194 confirmed cases, followed by an unmatched case-control study involving 194 laboratory-confirmed cases and 194 controls. Data were collected using the standardized dengue fever questionnaire developed by the Oman Ministry of Health, the electronic surveillance system (ALSHIFA+), and phone interviews. Multivariate analysis was performed to examine associations between variables and dengue fever. Among the 194 confirmed cases, males aged 30–59 years (98, 50.5%) were the most affected, with fever (100%), headache (55.2%), and myalgia (49%) being the most common clinical presentations. The case fatality rate was 0.5%. Living in Sohar, particularly in Tareef, Humbar, and Waqaiba, was associated with higher susceptibility to dengue fever (OR = 5.40; 95% CI: 2.17–13.44) due to high vector density, and a history of travel was also identified as a significant risk factor (OR = 3.53; 95% CI: 1.60–7.75). The 2023 dengue fever outbreak was the largest recorded, highlighting the importance of proper removal of breeding sites, community health education, continued implementation of vector control strategies, and maintaining updated vector-borne disease surveillance.