Another 18 cases test positive at Pindi hospitals in two weeks

Dengue fever

55 cases so far reported this year

Rawalpindi: As many as 18 patients have been tested positive for dengue fever at the three allied hospitals in town in last two weeks taking the total number of confirmed patients so far registered this year at the allied hospitals to 55 however, the trend at the time cannot be declared as an outbreak of the infection.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Monday has revealed that in last 24 hours, the three teaching hospitals did not receive any confirmed patient of the infection however as many as 11 confirmed patients of dengue fever including six patients of dengue hemorrhagic fever have been undergoing treatment in isolation wards of the allied hospitals.

To date, Holy Family Hospital received a total of 34 confirmed patients of dengue fever while as many as nine patients of the infection were undergoing treatment at the hospital on Monday morning of which five have been declared patients of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). The DHF is considered as a rare complication of the infection which is more fatal than dengue fever.

A total of 15 patients have been tested positive for dengue fever at Benazir Bhutto Hospital this year of which one was undergoing treatment in isolation on Monday. The BBH has also received three patients of DHF so far.

District Headquarters Hospital, this year, has received a total of six confirmed patients of dengue fever of which one suffering from DHF was undergoing treatment at the hospital on Monday.

The cases so far registered at the allied hospitals have been considered as sporadic ones by a number of health experts mainly because the allied hospitals received 55 cases of the infection in last four months. However, the peak season for transmission of dengue fever is about to set in.

Last year, in 2015, a total of 59 confirmed cases of dengue fever were reported in town till August 30 and afterwards, the population in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi faced the most severe outbreak of the infection in the history of the region.

Many health experts believe that the peak season for dengue fever transmission in this region of the country starts in the beginning or middle of September and lasts till November.According to health experts, the more alarming factor this year is that out of 55 patients so far reported at the allied hospitals, as many as 12 were found with hemorrhagic manifestations.

Experts say that uncontrolled bleeding distinguishes DHF from uncomplicated dengue fever. Bleeding can occur from the gums, nose, intestine, or under the skin as bruises or spots of blood especially under a tourniquet. The liver is often enlarged. Patients can have rapid onset of marked drowsiness, lethargy or restlessness or the presence of shock as manifested by a rapid and weak pulse, low blood pressure and cold clammy skin. Such patients should be immediately referred to a good hospital for further management. DHF shock can be a mortal illness and requires rapid and careful in-hospital management with assiduous correction and replacement of fluid, electrolytes, plasma and sometimes, fresh blood/platelets transfusions. Mortality from DHF ranges from 5 — 30 per cent (in untreated native populations) and the highest risk is to infants under one year.