ISLAMABAD: Major cities in Pakistan are witnessing a sharp increase in dengue cases as one death and 75 cases were reported in the federal capital during the last 24 hours.
Similarly, Sindh has reported 125 dengue virus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the provincial tally to 3,366 during the ongoing year. The province has also reported a total of nine deaths, of which four took place during this month.
Karachi has become a hub of dengue fever as so far officially 1,200 cases have been confirmed while the areas inundated by the floods waters in Sindh are bracing for the worst dengue situation as millions of people are staying in temporary camps totally exposed to the dengue mosquitos.
Punjab has reported 106 fresh dengue fever cases in the past 24 hours, wherein, hundreds of patients are admitted to dengue-dedicated wards.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) has reported 2,396 dengue cases during this season which according to the health officials are likely to intensify owing to floods and rains, especially in Nowshera, Charsadda, and Swat districts.
So far no official figure of dengue fever from Balochistan province is available but ongoing monsoon rains have affected 32 districts in Balochistan province and millions of people are staying in temporary relief camps.
According to District Health Officer (DHO) Islamabad, in the past 24 hours, a total of 75 cases of dengue virus were reported, taking the total number of confirmed infections to 743. The DHO stated the dengue virus also claimed one life in the capital during the same period, taking the death tally to three people during the ongoing dengue attack.
As devastating floods rip through the country impacting more than 33 million people, the threat of dengue surge lies around the corner. Public health experts are warning of the rising risk of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue spreading across the country.
According to health professional guidelines for dengue prevention, since there is no vaccination available to control the spread of dengue virus, only the adoption of strict preventive measures can save people from dengue. Cover water tanks and clear stagnant water found in or around the house. School management should allow the students to wear trousers and full sleeves shirts and get their school premises sprayed against mosquitoes.
Health experts have advised the masses to take all possible preventive measures against the spread of the dengue virus including the use of sprays, repellants, and other mosquitoes killing means.
These steps will help prevent other mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, currently prevalent in flood-affected areas, chikungunya infection, and Zika fever.
According to guidelines on dengue fever management, the disease symptoms begin three to four days after infection and might include high fever, headache, vomiting, and pain in the muscles, joints, eyes, and bones. It can also be associated with skin rashes. In the worst condition, there could be bleeding from gums, nose, mouth, ears, and other parts of the body.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
Comments
Comments are closed.