Another two test positive for dengue from Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi:Another two patients have tested positive for dengue fever from Rawalpindi district in the last three days taking the total number of confirmed patients so far registered from the district to 34.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Tuesday has revealed that to date, a total of 33 patients have been discharged after treatment while one of the confirmed patients has been undergoing treatment at Holy Family Hospital. A swift increase in the number of patients being tested positive for dengue fever in this region of the country hints towards a possible outbreak of the infection.

According to many health experts, the situation has become alarming after the setting in of monsoon. The teams of district health departments in the region have been finding a greater number of larvae of ‘aedes aegypti’, the vector that causes dengue fever along with adult mosquitoes both from inside houses and outdoor spots.

The daily report being prepared on dengue prevention and control by District Health Authority Rawalpindi has revealed that larvae of ‘aedes’ mosquitoes are being found in well over three per cent of the houses in as many as 72 union councils of the district including 33 falling under the jurisdiction of Municipal Corporation Rawal­pindi, 15 in Potohar Town, 14 in RCB and eight in Chaklala Cantonment Board.

The more alarming is the fact that out of 72 UCs, 20 have been found with Breteau Index above seven means larvae of ‘aedes aegypti’ are being found from over seven per cent of the houses checked in these UCs. Some two-and-a-half weeks back, there were only 26 union councils having Breteau Index above three in Rawalpindi district.

Health experts say that it is time for both the individuals and the concerned health departments to take preventive measures religiously as the greater the number of larvae and adult mosquitoes, the greater would be the chances of a more severe outbreak of dengue fever in a region.