Disease rising: Four more test positive for dengue

Three in Rawalpindi, one in Haripur test positive; Pindi authorities continue fumigation.

RAWALPINDI/HARIPUR:

Three patients admitted to two public sector hospitals in Rawalpindi tested positive for dengue fever on Wednesday. This is in addition to another dengue fever case confirmed in Haripur.

The health department in Rawalpindi has started a fumigation campaign in different areas of Rawal Town and the local MNA was seen distributing pamphlets to raise awareness among the people about preventive and precautionary measures against mosquito bites, as the insects are the primary carriers of the disease.

According to official sources at Holy Family Hospital (HFH) and District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ), all three patients with confirmed cases of dengue came from different areas of Rawalpindi.

Ali Rehman, 35, was brought from Dhoke Hasso near Pirwadhahi to HFH with a high fever and body pain. The National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed Rehman was infected with the dengue virus.

The other two patients are Muhammad Shafiq, 52, who came to HFH from Koh-i-Noor Mills in Rawalpindi Cantonment, and Asif Khan, 38, who was taken to DHQ from Ali Town near Adiala Road.

The total number of confirmed dengue cases this year in Rawalpindi now stands at four. The first patient was brought from Nowshera and died on August 13.

Official data reveals that the number of suspected dengue fever cases in the city has risen to 43. At present, the reports of 12 suspected patients have not been received. The patients are in isolation wards at the three major hospitals in Rawalpindi till their infection statuses are confirmed.

Meanwhile, the district public health department carried out fumigation campaigns in areas where suspected patients live.

Speaking during the fumigation campaign, District Health Officer Dr Muhammad Ansar said fumigation would continue throughout September.

Haripur gets its first dengue fever patient in 2011

Meanwhile, Haripur district’s first confirmed dengue fever case of the year was reported when test results for one of the 30 suspected patients came back positive for the virus. Fortunately, the infected person, a health department employee, survived the attack and made a full recovery before the test result came back.

Sources at the Haripur Health Executive District Officer’s (EDO) office revealed that after the onset of the monsoon season, Haripur DHQ Hospital and its subsidiaries received several cases of high fever similar to dengue, and after initial tests at the hospital, over 30 blood samples were sent to NIH in Islamabad.

Out of these blood samples, 13 were negative, while only one was diagnosed positive, sources said, adding that results for the remaining 16 are still pending. The dengue positive patient, Muhammad Imtiaz, was an EPI technician at the health EDO’s office and has already resumed his duty after recovering from the viral disease.

Health EDO Dr Mazar Shah confirmed that blood samples of over 25 suspected patients had been sent to NIH Islamabad this season.

The deadly virus was first detected in the region in 2004, when cadets from Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, fell victim to dengue during a brief training operation in the countryside of Haripur district. The district has since seen numerous people fall victim to the disease annually. Haripur was even declared a dengue-prone district by the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to K-P health department sources, during the last year alone, 418 suspected cases were registered with the health department, of which 144 were positive, while the results of over 142 were not received from the NIH.b

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2011.