Downpour reignites fear of dengue outbreak

Health authority says larvae destroyed at over 13,000 locations

RAWALPINDI:

Around 290 first information reports (FIR) were registered against owners of commercial and residential properties where larvae were found during various anti-dengue campaigns till July 18 this year.

The director of the health department in Rawalpindi, Dr Ansar Ishaq gave a detailed briefing on the punitive actions taken by the the district administration. He said that in collaboration with allied departments, a total of 108 premises were sealed, 215 challans were issued, notices were sent to 1,106 others, and a cumulative fine of Rs317,600 was imposed over violations of dengue standard operating procedures (SOP) so far this year.

He informed that as many as 21 confirmed cases had been reported in the district this year, while the number was 13 in 2022, and two in 2021 during the same period.

The health officer further stated that among the cases, four of each were reported from the Rawalpindi cantonment, the Chaklala cantonment and the area under the municipal corporation.

Two cases were reported from the urban areas falling in the Potohar region, while one case each had arrived from the rural areas of Potohar, Gujjar Khan and Kotli Sattian.

During indoor vector surveillance, Dr Ansar informed that larvae was detected at 11,507 indoor sites while during outdoor surveillance larvae was found at 2,010 spots this year.

He added that there had been an increase in the incidence of dengue fever and mosquito breeding during the recent rains, which needed to be tackled immediately. Puddles of stagnant water during rain become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and spread diseases like malaria and dengue fever, he continued while urging residents to clean their water tanks and not leave any place wet with stagnant water.

He said that dengue fever could cause life-threatening complications if not treated properly. "If you have a fever of 3-10 days duration with symptoms like headache, muscle and joint pains, retro-orbital pain and skin rash, you need to get yourself checked", he added.

With additional input from APP

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2023.