Chickenpox has claimed 19 lives this year, confirms health dept

Minister says health CEOs of all districts will monitor the situation and provide vaccines.

LAHORE: Punjab is in the midst of a chickenpox epidemic as at least 19 deaths have been reported from Faisalabad’s hospitals thus far in 2017.

According to the health department, 1,591 cases of chickenpox have been reported in Punjab, of which 821 were from Faisalabad district alone. In Lahore, 86 cases were reported, while there were six in Chinot, 11 in Nankana Sahib, 189 in Toba Tek Singh and 185 in Sahiwal. In Gujaranwala and Multan, one case from each city was reported.

Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Commission Khawaja Imran Nazir revealed these statistics as he spoke to the press on Tuesday.

He said according to health department data, 19 deaths were reported in Faisalabad, however, he did not mention that chickenpox had become an epidemic over the year.



He added several cases were being reported from different districts of the province. Regardless, he seemed satisfied with the situation as he stated that only four cases in Lahore and five cases in Faisalabad were reported more recently.

Telling the media about steps taken by the department, he said health CEOs of all districts were strictly ordered to monitor the chickenpox situation and provide vaccines to patients.

He said besides sending SMS alerts, the health department also planned to include communicable disease awareness courses in the school curriculum.

“This will include a chapter on the awareness of communicable diseases will be a great help to curb the menace,” he remarked.

He further defined the strategy that the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has been directed to share the data of the disease with media so that people could also be aware of the real situation.

“We have started a mass awareness campaign in the affected districts and special health education sessions were held in schools. Moreover, advertisements have also been published to create awareness among people,” he added.



How does the disease spread?

Dr Qazi Mumtaz, a senior pediatrician, told The Express Tribune that chickenpox was a highly contagious disease and could spread through saliva, mucus or contact with the blisters of an infected person.

“The virus can also be transmitted through the air by coughing or sneezing,” he added. Dr Qazi said chickenpox was caused by the varicella-zoster virus.

It spreads easily from people with chickenpox to others who have never had the disease or been vaccinated.

He further said though chickenpox was a common disease among children, the virus had a terrible effect on adults too.

“The disease can lead to death due to co-morbidity,” he said.

The doctor stressed patients with symptoms of high fever, rashes on the body, vomiting and stiffness in the neck should immediately be referred to a hospital for proper treatment.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2017.