Dengue outbreak loses intensity, 17 plus cases being reported daily on average

Rawalpindi : The dengue fever outbreak that has hit population severely in scattered areas in this region of the country this year has started losing intensity after the fall in mercury particularly within the last two weeks or so though still over 17 confirmed cases of the infection are being reported from Rawalpindi district per day on average.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Saturday has revealed that in the last 24 hours, another 16 individuals belonging to Rawalpindi district have tested positive for the infection taking the total number of dengue fever patients so far reported from the district to 6,533 this year. The infection claimed no life from the district in November however as many as 11 patients belonging to the district had already died of dengue fever.

The data reveals that in the last one week, as many as 123 patients were tested positive for dengue fever from Rawalpindi district that made less than 18 patients per day on average while in the previous week, the average number of confirmed dengue fever patients reported from the district was 42.

According to health experts, the number of cases has been on a sharp decline mainly because of fall in mercury in the region that makes mosquito ‘aedes aegypti’, the vector that causes dengue fever unable to feed on humans. Experts say that there would only be endemic cases of the infection from the region after one week or so depending on further fall in temperature.

Experts, however, say that people must be careful as at the time, indoor surveillance is critical to avoid incidence of dengue fever because temperature inside homes and offices may remain suitable for activity of mosquitoes ‘aedes aegypti’, the vector that causes dengue fever for another two to three weeks or so.

It is important that after the fall in temperature, the burden of dengue fever patients at the three teaching hospitals in town including Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital has reduced to a great level. On Saturday, only 24 dengue fever patients from Rawalpindi district were undergoing treatment at the three allied hospitals while in the previous week, the number was well over 65.