NIH calls for strengthening dengue prevention
The first dengue case in Pakistan was reported in 1994
Dengue ward of Pims. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
National Institute of Health (NIH) has asked healthcare authorities to further strengthen and improve the level of preparedness in preventing dengue virus.
According to an official, keeping in view the past seasonal trends and continuous increase in the number of suspected dengue patients, it is important to stay vigilant and taking preventive steps to limit dengue transmission.
An advisory has also been issued to the departments concerned to sensitize general public about the disease, he said, adding that the dengue fever is marked by the rapid onset of high fever, headache, retro-orbital pain, vomiting, sore throat, altered taste sensation, among other complications.
Moreover, sequential infections with different serotypes aggravate the risk of contracting dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.
He said that early signs of shock include restlessness, clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, and narrowing of the pulse pressure. Patients with these signs are advised to get admitted to the hospital instantly and take precautionary measures, he added.
He said that while there is no specific treatment for the disease, it could be prevented by effective management of the symptoms. Hence, it is important for the attending physicians not to include other diagnoses. The official said that careful clinical detection and management of dengue patients can significantly reduce mortality rates associated with it.
The dengue fever is typically a self-limiting disease with a mortality rate of less than one percent, the official said, adding that if left unattended the mortality rate can rise to 50 percent. He said that dengue is the most common arthropod-borne viral illness in humans and emerged as a worldwide problem during the 1950s.
The official further said that the first dengue case in Pakistan was reported in 1994. However, it has now spread to all geographical regions of Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 5th, 2017.
National Institute of Health (NIH) has asked healthcare authorities to further strengthen and improve the level of preparedness in preventing dengue virus.
According to an official, keeping in view the past seasonal trends and continuous increase in the number of suspected dengue patients, it is important to stay vigilant and taking preventive steps to limit dengue transmission.
An advisory has also been issued to the departments concerned to sensitize general public about the disease, he said, adding that the dengue fever is marked by the rapid onset of high fever, headache, retro-orbital pain, vomiting, sore throat, altered taste sensation, among other complications.
Moreover, sequential infections with different serotypes aggravate the risk of contracting dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.
He said that early signs of shock include restlessness, clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, and narrowing of the pulse pressure. Patients with these signs are advised to get admitted to the hospital instantly and take precautionary measures, he added.
He said that while there is no specific treatment for the disease, it could be prevented by effective management of the symptoms. Hence, it is important for the attending physicians not to include other diagnoses. The official said that careful clinical detection and management of dengue patients can significantly reduce mortality rates associated with it.
The dengue fever is typically a self-limiting disease with a mortality rate of less than one percent, the official said, adding that if left unattended the mortality rate can rise to 50 percent. He said that dengue is the most common arthropod-borne viral illness in humans and emerged as a worldwide problem during the 1950s.
The official further said that the first dengue case in Pakistan was reported in 1994. However, it has now spread to all geographical regions of Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 5th, 2017.