Ten cases of dengue were confirmed on Saturday: one from Islamabad and nine from Rawalpindi.
The Polyclinic hospital confirmed its second dengue case, taking the toll to two this year for the capital.
A senior physician dealing with dengue cases at the hospital, on the condition of anonymity, informed The Express Tribune that a 34-year-old male, Amir Hussian, a resident of Saidpur, has been confirmed of having contracted the disease.
The doctor said he was admitted to the hospital on October 3 with high grade fever, muscular pain and bleeding.
His blood samples were sent to National Institute of Health (NIH) for test late on Friday and the report confirmed that he had dengue fever.
The patient is still admitted at the hospital and is now stable.
Moreover, nine patients were confirmed for dengue in Rawalpindi setting off alarm bells.
Dr Eshan Ghani, surveillance officer at the Rawalpindi health department, said with these nine fresh cases the total of dengue cases registered with the health department has reached 73. He said their aim is to prevent any deaths due to the fever.
“So far no deaths have occurred this year from dengue, which is a positive sign of our efforts,” he said.
A health official from Rawalpindi district health office, who was not authorised to talk to the media, said the surge was due to the monsoon season.
“However, these cases could be best avoided through effective preventive strategies which, however, were not properly implemented across the city,” he said.
With regards to cases of the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), he said so far two suspected cases have been admitted at the Holy Family Hospital.
Their blood samples have been sent to NIH and the results are awaited.
Meanwhile, according to the Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, complied by the government and World Health Organisation, so far a total 100 suspected cases and 38 confirmed cases have been reported. Out of the tested patients, 28 have died due to Congo fever.
Most of the cases are from Balochistan province with 46 suspected out of which 13 people belong to Afghanistan, 10 of whom were confirmed by the laboratory with nine deaths occurring.
Meanwhile, out of the 30 suspected and 17 confirmed cases in K-P, 12 were from Afghanistan. On the other hand, 15 suspected CCHF cases out of which seven were laboratory confirmed and six deaths were reported from Punjab.
In Sindh, two laboratory cases were confirmed of which one died in Sindh. While, one suspected case from district Sudhnuti (AJK) was found negative for CCHF.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2014.
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