Dengue goes out of control across Pakistan

Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne illness, continues to affect people in different parts of Pakistan.

In the province of Sindh, a total of 14 cases were reported recently. The majority of these cases were from the bustling city of Karachi, where 10 cases were registered, followed by 3 in Hyderabad, and 1 in Sukkur. This August alone, Sindh has seen a worrisome total of 183 dengue cases.

Among the affected areas, Karachi leads the count with 148 cases, followed by Hyderabad with 27 cases, Mirpurkhas and Sukkur with 3 cases each, and Larkana with a single case.

The Eastern District of Karachi has been hit the hardest, reporting 82 cases this month. Other districts, like South, Central, and Malir, have also seen cases, but thankfully, no deaths have been reported due to dengue this year. In 2023, a total of 923 dengue cases have been reported in Sindh.

In Punjab province, Rawalpindi city is also grappling with its own dengue outbreak. Over the past 24 hours, 12 more cases of dengue have been confirmed, raising the total to 188 cases.

The infected individuals are undergoing treatment at Holy Family, DHQ, and Benazir Bhutto Hospitals. In a bid to control the situation, authorities have been proactive in sealing buildings where dengue mosquito breeding has been identified.

Notably, 57 cases were registered and 3 buildings sealed due to violations of dengue SOPs (standard operating procedures). In addition, 15 tickets were issued, amounting to a fine of Rs. 50,000, as part of efforts to ensure compliance.

The total number of cases recorded since the outbreak began is 1953, with 448 buildings sealed and fines totaling 32 lakh 53 thousand rupees imposed.

The city of Faisalabad is also facing the challenge of dengue outbreaks. With the rainy season exacerbating the issue, 5 more people were recently hospitalized due to mosquito bites in the month of August. Overall, 53 cases of dengue have been identified across the district.

To tackle this menace, the affected individuals have been moved to the isolation ward of Allied Hospital. The health department has been quick to respond by deploying teams to halt the breeding of dengue mosquitoes.

Across Pakistan, from Sindh to Rawalpindi and Faisalabad, the battle against dengue rages on. Local authorities and healthcare workers are working tirelessly to curb the spread of the virus, while citizens are urged to follow preventive measures and cooperate with guidelines to protect themselves and their communities from this mosquito-borne threat.