Intensity of dengue fever on decline in federal capital

2,416 confirmed positive so far with 3 deaths -- a history in the making

Islamabad

The number of confirmed patients of dengue fever being reported in the federal capital has been on a decline for the last one week however, confirmation of 2,416 patients so far reported from Islamabad can be termed a history in the making as the population here has never faced such a severe outbreak of dengue fever in the past.

The infection, this year has claimed at least three lives in the federal capital, two in rural areas and one in Islamabad urban which is also a new record. It is important that less than 1,500 patients in all have been reported in the federal capital since the first outbreak of dengue fever in northern part of the country, in last 10 years.

The on-going dengue fever outbreak can be termed as the most severe in the history of federal capital but now the situation is completely under control and the number of confirmed patients is on decline, said Additional District Health Officer at Islamabad Capital Territory Health Department Dr. Muhammad Najeeb Durrani while talking to ‘The News’ on Thursday.

He added that in last one week, not more than 100 confirmed cases of dengue fever have been reported from both rural and urban areas of Islamabad and it hints that the fall in temperature is playing its due role in checking mosquitoes’ activities.

To a query, he said only 41 confirmed cases of dengue fever have been reported in last four days that means that 10 to 12 confirmed cases of the infection are being reported per day on average.

He explained that the confirmed patients of dengue fever being reported at the time are those who have been bitten by mosquito ‘aedes aegypti’, the dengue fever vector last week as the incubation period, the time after bite and appearance of symptoms, for dengue fever ranges from three to eight days.

Giving details, he said out of total 2416 patients so far tested positive for dengue fever from Islamabad, as many as 282 are residents of urban areas while 2234 belong to rural areas in the federal capital. Population in as many as five union councils including Sohan, Rawat, Tarlai, Koral and Bhara Kahu were severely hit by dengue fever outbreak this year, he said.

To date, a total of 681 patients have been tested positive from Tarlai, 602 from Rawat, 396 from Sohan, 335 from Koral and 220 from Bhara Kahu, said Dr. Durrani.

Dr. Durrani who is an epidemiologist and a member of Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) said the mosquitoes ‘aedes aegypti’ in the existing cold weather cannot bite outside homes because the fall in temperature makes it week enough to mount and feed on human in outdoor environment. At the time, people need to avoid mosquito contact inside homes and individuals should clean environment inside homes, he said.