Infectious diseases break out in twin cities

Cases of chickenpox, measles and gastroenteritis rising in children across twincities

ISLAMABAD:

With the rise in temperature, a variety of contagious infections have started affecting children as well adults in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad as hundreds of children infected with chickenpox, gastroenteritis, and measles are being brought to the public and private hospitals on a daily basis.

Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease, which is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV).

Paediatrician Dr Hafeez at a private hospital informed The Express Tribune that the disease has infected both children and adults equally in Rawalpindi.

"We have treated a whole family affected with chickenpox this week. Initially, a three-year-old child in this family contacted VZ Virus, who later transmitted the illness among other members of the family,” he said. “ The adult members were in more severe condition than the children," the doctor added. He advised isolation of patients infected with chickenpox for 5-10 days so that the virus could not spread among other people, especially adults as the disease is more severe in adults than kids.

Cases of measles and gastroenteritis are also on the rise across the cities. Toddlers and kids are among the most affected population by these contagious diseases. A Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Children's Hospital official said.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2022.