Dengue fever outbreak starts losing intensity

Burden of dengue fever patients at allied hospitals reduced
to half; over 40 cases being reported daily on average

Rawalpindi

After fall in temperature in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the dengue fever outbreak has started losing intensity though still well over 40 confirmed cases of the infection are being reported here at the three teaching hospitals in town.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Tuesday has revealed that as many as 349 more patients have been tested positive for the infection at the allied hospitals in town in last one week at an average of nearly 50 patients of the infection being reported daily while previously, well over 75 confirmed patients were reporting to the hospitals per day.

In last 24 hours, as many as 19 patients were tested positive at BBH, 20 at HFH and three at DHQ Hospital. On Tuesday, a total of 157 patients including confirmed and suspected ones were undergoing treatment in wards at BBH, HFH and DHQ Hospital, while another 13 patients were undergoing treatment relatively in critical condition at High Dependency Units of the allied hospitals.

It is important that last week, the number of admitted patients to the three allied hospitals was above 300. The total number of positive cases so far registered with the allied hospitals has reached to 2,950 and to date, the infection has claimed a total of seven lives at the three teaching hospitals.

In last 24 hours, the allied hospitals have admitted 56 patients and it shows that the influx is still very high though it is showing downward trend as compared to the number of patients reaching allied hospitals till the end of October. Till the last week of October this year, the allied hospitals were receiving 70 to 100 confirmed patients of the infection daily on average while at present, 40 to 50 confirmed patients are being registered with the three teaching hospitals.

According to details, Holy Family Hospital tested a total of 1,511 patients positive for dengue fever while as many as 1,220 patients have been confirmed positive for the infection at Benazir Bhutto Hospital and 219 at District Headquarters Hospital. The infection claimed five lives at HFH and two at BBH.

It is important that the recent outbreak of dengue fever can be termed as much intense in nature on the subject of incidence of dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. Out of a total of 2,950 patients tested positive for dengue fever, as many as 886 patients have been diagnosed with dengue hemorrhagic fever while 52 patients with dengue shock syndrome, the rare forms of dengue fever.

During the recent dengue fever outbreak, the allied hospitals have received as many as 16,816 patients at their dengue fever outpatient departments of which 4,567 were admitted to the hospitals for treatment. Till Tuesday, the allied hospitals have discharged a total of 4,403 patients after treatment.