No let-up in dengue spike despite temperature dip

Sources say 47 more fell victim to vector-borne disease in last 24 hours

RAWALPINDI:

The cases of people suffering from the dengue virus continue to rise in the garrison city despite a significant drop in temperature.

According to sources, 47 more citizens fell victim to the vector-borne disease in the last 24 hours while the influx of patients continues in the dengue wards of the allied hospitals.

During the ongoing season, there have been 1,093 confirmed cases of dengue of which 109 patients were undergoing treatment in the three major public medical facilities. A total of 984 patients have successfully recovered and been discharged from these hospitals.

Experts have raised concerns about the increase in dengue cases despite a clear drop in temperature.

“Citizens should wear long-sleeved shirts to protect themselves against dengue,” advised Dr Inayat, the additional medical superintendent at the Benazir Bhutto General Hospital (BBH).

Dr Inayat said mosquito repellents should be used in houses to prevent mosquito bites while water should be prevented from accumulating and if someone contracts dengue, they should be taken to the hospital right away.

According to Dr Inayat, the dengue mosquito seeks shelter indoors during periods of low temperature and attacks at night. “Therefore, mosquito repellents should be sprayed in the houses,” he said.

District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Ijaz Ahmed said the health department was carrying out fogging to eradicate dengue mosquitoes through a dengue awareness campaign. “Indoor spraying is done, and dengue larvae are detected and eradicated during dengue surveillance,” he explained.

Dr Ijaz said there was a slight change in the weather and the temperatures decreased but the dengue mosquitoes persisted. “As the temperature drops further, the dengue attacks will begin to come down and when the weather gets colder in mid-November, the severity of dengue will drop significantly,” he added.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2023.