Start of the season: Dengue cases reach 19 in Swat

MINGORA:

With one more patient diagnosed with dengue and admitted to Saidu Teaching Hospital on Tuesday, the number of cases reported this year has reached 19.

The patient, identified as Shamo Sahar, 45, was also brought in from Amankot – the most affected area in Swat district so far.

“At least 15 patients have already been discharged from the hospital after recovery while four remain under treatment at the dengue cell,” Roshan Ali, the focal person for the dengue cell, told The Express Tribune.

Meanwhile, a fumigation campaign is underway at public places in the district. Health workers and volunteers claim to have eliminated swathes of dengue larvae in the suburbs of Mingora, including Amankot. Door-to-door visits to spread awareness about the dengue virus are also planned.

As yet, no casualties have resulted because of dengue. According to unofficial estimates, at least 63 people lost their lives because of dengue in 2013, however, the official record stated 37 had died.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2014.