Population in capital at risk of facing severe dengue outbreak

Islamabad : The population in Islamabad Capital Territory seems to be at a great risk of facing a severe dengue fever outbreak in the next few days as the number of patients being tested positive for dengue fever from the federal capital has been registering a tremendous increase at least for the last two weeks.

Data collected by ‘The News’ has revealed that well over 700 confirmed patients of the infection have been reported from the federal capital in the last two weeks taking the total number of dengue fever patients from ICT to over 950. Well over 550 individuals have so far been tested positive from the rural areas of Islamabad while the number of confirmed dengue fever cases has crossed the figure of 400 in urban areas.

Data also reveals that the number of dengue fever cases is continuously on the rise in at least eight union councils of Islamabad rural areas including Koral, Rawat, Tarlai, Sohan, Tarnol, Alipur, Sihala and Bara Kahu. The worst affected union councils include Koral, Rawat and Tarlai from where a total of around 450 dengue fever patients have already been reported.

From urban areas in the federal capital, most of the dengue fever cases have so far been reported from as many as 10 sectors including H-13, G-13, I-14, G-7, I-10, G-9, F-6, G-10, G-8 and E-11. The worst affected sectors include H-13, G-13 and I-14 from where over 250 confirmed patients have already been reported.

It is important that the number of patients being tested positive from ICT has already crossed the figure of 70 per day on average. According to health experts, a continuous increase in the number of dengue fever cases from ICT hints towards a severe outbreak of the infection in the coming days.

Epidemiological data reveals that the situation is going to be much more alarming in a week or so and there would be reports of over 100 patients per day if the concerned government authorities failed in controlling the dengue fever spread as had happened in the past. In almost all dengue fever outbreaks, it was the fall in temperature in the first week of December that put the outbreak to an end and not the authorities.

District Health Officer Islamabad Dr. Muhammad Zaeem Zia, however, is of the view that the situation is still not alarming because the teams of the district health department are coming up with success in early diagnosis of the cases and their management while the case response activities are also being carried out promptly to control further spread of the infection.

Talking to ‘The News’, he said there is certainly a rise in the number of dengue fever cases because of suitable weather conditions for dengue mosquitoes but the health department is taking proper control measures. The health department is regularly monitoring the situation and helping patients in management, he said.

Experts say that to control the spread of dengue fever in the region, there is a need to strengthen surveillance against the infection along with strong monitoring of the activities being carried out by case response teams in the field.