Punjab registers 44 new dengue cases

Punjab has registered 44 cases of the mosquito-borne disease dengue so far, the provincial health department stated on Wednesday, as the authorities started taking emergency measures to control the disease.

The dengue-causing mosquito breeds in cleaner, stagnant water, and its number explodes when there are spells of rain followed by warm days. Dengue is easily transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, for which irregular rainfalls and tropical climates create an ideal breeding ground.

The experts have said that out of 44 dengue patients, 13 are from Lahore, three each from Gujarat and Vehari, two each from Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Kasur, while seven had been travelling from other provinces, and one from Islamabad.

In an effort to control the disease, the health department has directed the concerned authorities to develop Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in hospitals to be operational and hire 10,929 health workers on a contract basis.

Whereas the health department is taking emergency measures, other measures are also being taken by the authorities to control the further spread of dengue. Similarly, the Sunday weekly holiday of the health workers that are working in the anti-dengue campaign has also been called off by the concerned department.

The health department said 44 cases of dengue had been reported this year, compared to nine reported across the province by the end of May last year.