Another 12 test positive for dengue taking tally to 157

Islamabad:Confirmation of another 12 patients positive for dengue fever from Rawalpindi district in the last 24 hours has taken the tally from the district to 157 of which one patient has died of the infection.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Sunday has revealed that the number of dengue fever patients is continuously on the rise and the burden on public sector hospitals is also increasing as on Sunday, as many as 61 patients were undergoing treatment at the hospitals of which 37 have already been tested positive for the infection. To date, a total of 119 confirmed dengue fever patients have been discharged from the hospitals after treatment.

After confirmation of 157 cases of dengue fever from the region of which well over 75 have been reported in the last one week, the chances of a severe outbreak of the infection have increased and the health experts believe that awareness among public about various aspects of the infection can play a vital role in checking spread of the infection.

Experts say that it is time to make people aware of the complete list of habitats of dengue fever vector so that they may take proper action to eliminate adult mosquitoes and larvae of ‘aedes aegypti’, the vector that causes dengue fever. It is important for people to know that the maximum density of larvae of dengue fever vector is from July to October in this region of the country and it is time to take measures religiously to remove all possible breeding sites of mosquitoes inside and around their homes and offices.

Water storages in houses, cement water tanks at rooftops, underground and earthenware water containers and plastic water containers all attract female mosquitoes to lay eggs and these all should be eliminated. Used wet tyres harbor mosquitoes and the larvae and pupae of mosquitoes. Large cement tanks like that of under construction buildings may serve as breeding sites for dengue vectors during their peak population season, from August to October.

Experts say that old utensils, broken furniture, toys and all like junk are sites for larvae breeding when rain water is collected in them. Anti-larval measures aimed at source reduction should be the main strategy and focus should be on man-made containers like earthenware jars, metal, plastic drums, concrete cisterns used for domestic water storage, discarded food containers, used automobile tyres, flower pots, vases and other items that collect rain water. ‘Khass’ or like material in room coolers which is wet with automatic sprinkling of water is a suitable site for egg laying and larvae development.

Experts say that for indoor surveillance, individuals should properly fence the windows and doors and ensure installation of automatic door closers if possible. People should regularly use mosquito repellents. The peak season for transmission of dengue fever has already set in and it is time for individuals to look for adult mosquitoes as these after getting a blood meal usually rest behind the curtains, under the beds, behind the furniture and in the bathrooms while waiting for a few days for the eggs to mature. At this point in time, the female mosquitoes avoid movement or flying and it is the right time to kill the mosquitoes before they move out in search of moist places or water containers to lay eggs.