Dengue: more than a monsoonal threat

Just as the Peoples Party parliamentarians started criticizing the Punjab government for failing to control the dengue outbreak in Punjab, the Aedes Aegyptis mosquitoes appear to have turned their heads south and made a bee-line for Sindh.
Flooded streets and overflowing drains are a seasonal peril that most inhabitants of Karachi and other cities of Pakistan are quite accustomed to. However, recently the monsoon season has become perilous for another reason, thanks to these menacing mosquitoes: the dengue virus.
The virus has become an ever-present pandemic in many countries of the world that are situated within the tropical zone. Thankfully, in Pakistan the situation is not as dire. However the rapid spread of the virus in Punjab and its rising toll in Sindh is sounding alarm bells for the government.
According to the government sources, more than 200 cases of dengue have been reported in Karachi alone this year. But five to six new cases of dengue are being reported every day, since the latest spate of rains in the metropolis.
Officials assert they have already started fogging different areas of the city while targeted spraying of high-risk areas or hotspots is scheduled to commence from Thursday. Government hospitals are being equipped with the platelets machines and testing units, these machines will be procured within two weeks.
Doctors say that the highest brunt of cases is reported in September, so the hospitals will likely remain busy with patients of the virus in coming days. On the bright side, dengue is usually not life threatening if diagnosed early and in Pakistan it has a one percent mortality rate.
But people fear what they know not and fear of this virus is rife, in part because so far no cure for the ailment has been discovered. Moreover, diagnosis of the virus is tricky and many patients are not admitted to hospitals until the virus has taken a dangerous toll.
Manufacturers of mosquito repellents have minted a pretty penny since the outbreak of dengue in Punjab. Sales of mosquito repellent mats, coils, and lotions have surged. Reckitt Benckiser (Mortein) and Abbott Laboratories (Mospel) are the largest manufacturers of mosquito repellents in Pakistan. According to industry sources Mospel holds roughly 97 percent of the relevant market share.
As the virus and the ensuing hysteria spreads, mosquito repellant products have been flying off store shelves. Industry sources contend that monthly sales of Mospel have tripled since the outbreak.
While such products are undoubtedly effective in providing protection against mosquito bites; the emerging threat is that this seasonal virus could become an omnipresent threat.
"Dengue fever virus is an RNA virus transmitted through the Aedes Aegyptis mosquito. While these mosquitoes take 14 days to breed into adult feeding, some species can survive up to one year in their adult form" says Dr. Nadia Syed.
Consequently, it is imperative that governments efforts to control the outbreak extend beyond the monsoon rains. Moreover the techniques used must address this threat in a comprehensive manner so that the virus does not re-emerge or persist in high-risk areas such as densely populated urban slums and congested low-income housing areas.