Experts paint gloomy picture of dengue in Rawalpindi

Say situation can further deteriorate if weather remains hot, humid

RAWALPINDI:

A team of experts from Lahore has painted a gloomy picture of the dengue situation in Rawalpindi stating that the situation could worsen further if the weather remains hot and humid, which is providing an ideal ground for the breeding dengue virus.

In a report, the team has pinned hopes on the weather to turn around as the virus will die a natural death in cold weather.

A senior officer of the district administration told The Express Tribune that a team of anti-dengue experts was called from Lahore to assess the alarming situation of the dengue spread.

He said that the team visited more than 2,000 hotspots and evaluated the performance of anti-dengue teams. The team of experts has prepared a 72-page report on the deteriorating dengue situation in Rawalpindi stating that the dengue mosquito was rampant in the city, Cantonment and rural areas.

The report said that despite measures and intensive fogging, dengue mosquitoes could not be eradicated. It said that the current temperature and humidity in Rawalpindi was providing favourable conditions for dengue mosquitos to breed. The report said that if the weather turns around quickly and winter begins, the mosquito will die its natural death or migrate to warmer regions.

The senior officer said that the experts also carried out a comparison of dengue cases in Rawalpindi in the last five years and established the opinion that dengue may be more dangerous this time around.

A spokesperson for the district administration said that the admin was active to eradicate dengue but the negligence and carelessness of the citizens were hampering the efforts. Meanwhile, 70 more suspected dengue patients were admitted to hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the total toll of patients to 1,122. According to the data obtained from the health department, 272 patients were currently under treatment in the three allied hospitals while the condition of five patients admitted to the BBH was critical.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2022.