Residents advised to take precautions against Dengue

Dengue fever displayed severe, flu-like symptoms which affect infants, young children, adults

ISLAMABAD: Medical experts on Sunday advised citizens of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi to take special precautions to protect themselves against the dengue virus.

According to the experts, citizens should properly dispose of solid waste and stop storing water in open containers in their residences to deny egg-laying female mosquitoes access.

They explained that mosquitoes primarily breed in containers such as earthenware jars, metal drums and concrete cisterns used for domestic water storage. They can also take refuge in discarded plastic food containers, used car tyres and other items which can collect rainwater.



Dr Wasim Khawaja of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) said that dengue spread through a mosquito-borne infection, which in recent years had become a major public health concern in the twin cities.

He said that the dengue fever displayed severe, flu-like symptoms which affect infants, young children and adults.

Dr Khawaja added t that the spread of dengue was attributed to expanding geographic distribution of the four dengue viruses and of their mosquito vectors, the most important of which was the predominantly urban species Aedes Aegypti.



Dr Sharif Astori from Federal Government Poly Clinic (FGPC) explained that infants and young children may display non-specific febrile illness with rash while older children and adults may have either a mild febrile syndrome or the classical incapacitating disease with abrupt onset and high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains and rash.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2017.