Despite weather change: 30 suspected dengue patients emerge

Health dept asks people to clean up stagnant water from around houses, offices

LAHORE: The health department warned people on Wednesday to do away with stagnant water from around their residences and places of work as 30 suspected dengue patients were admitted to different hospitals of Lahore.

The cases were reported from Defence and Gulberg Town, where the city district government has already started an anti-dengue drive.

“The dengue season is likely to last till mid-December,” Chief Minister’s Adviser on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique said. However, he added, situation in the city was improving,

Lahore DCO Capt (retd) Muhammad Usman said dengue larvae were still emerging in posh localities despite cleanliness drives. “We have given several warnings to the residents of these areas, but more cases are a wake-up call for the citizens.”

He added their indoor and outdoor teams have given several warning to the locals and will continue to do so until the dengue larvae are completely eradicated.

Dengue Control Additional Director General Dr Fayyaz Butt said the government was taking strict action against those who were not cleaning their premises despite several warnings.

Cause and effect

Butt blamed old tyre shops for spreading the disease, claiming there were chances of a dengue outbreak if locals did not cooperate with the government.

He said stagnant water on rooftops, in bathrooms and open areas was the breeding ground for dengue mosquitoes and hence was the main cause of outbreak.

University of Health Sciences Genetics and Molecular Biology Department’s Prof Aslamkhan told The Express Tribune that dengue larvae could be found even in empty bottles of drinking water, on decoration pieces, kitchen cabinets and car tyres.

He added if someone thinks they are out of danger by just cleaning their surroundings and wiping away stagnant water from around them, they are wrong.

“This is because even flowerpots and tree trunks are hotspots for dengue larvae,” he claimed.

Symptoms of dengue fever include intense headache, pain in joints, rashes on skin and loss of appetite. “Those who face any one of these symptoms must immediately seek treatment,” he said. “There is no specific treatment for dengue but adequate fluid intake and bed rest is important.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2016.