PMD issues nationwide dengue alert amid rising cases

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a dengue alert following a noticeable rise in dengue fever cases across Pakistan.

Officials warned that cases, which began increasing in September, are expected to surge further in October.

PMD highlighted that major cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Multan, Hyderabad, and Larkana, are particularly vulnerable to the outbreak.

During the past decade, dengue outbreaks have severely impacted public health in the country.

PMD noted that dengue mosquitoes are most active two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset.

However, as temperatures drop below 16°C, the risk of dengue declines significantly.

Authorities have urged stakeholders, including the National Health Agency and dengue control centres, to play a proactive role in curbing the spread of the virus.

Dengue cases continue to rise in Rawalpindi

Dengue mosquito attacks continue to escalate in Rawalpindi, with Chak Jalal Din in the Potohar area emerging as a hotspot for the outbreak.

Despite ongoing anti-dengue efforts, the spread of dengue across the city remains unchecked.

During the past 24 hours, 73 new dengue-positive cases have emerged, bringing the total number of dengue-positive patients under hospital treatment to 143.

The planned precautionary measures including regular meetings between the District Health Authority (DHA) and the administration, multiple visits from Punjab government officials and deployment of 1,500 sanitary patrols, have failed to curb the severity of dengue in Rawalpindi.

Extensive awareness campaigns, including dengue awareness walks in educational institutions and special addresses by scholars during Friday prayers, urging citizens to take preventive measures, have not yielded the desired results either.

The health department reported that Potohar Town is at the epicentre of the dengue outbreak, with a staggering 850 cases having occurred there so far. In the last 20 hours alone, 34 patients from Potohar Town and 10 from Municipal Corporation areas have tested positive for dengue.

Additionally, 15 cases were confirmed in Rawalpindi Cantonment, five in Potohar Rural, two in Gujar Khan, two in Kallar Syedan and two in Taxila Cantt. Doctors have already declared at least four patients beyond recovery this season.

Moreover, 651 malaria cases have also been reported during this season, with at least two cases originating from Congo. Authorities have taken strict measures by issuing 2,385 fines, totalling Rs160 million despite prior warnings about dengue larvae.