Dengue fever outbreak loses intensity

Allied hospitals receiving 10 to 20 patients per day on average with 300 cases in last two weeks

Rawalpindi

The sharp fall in mercury particularly in last two weeks in this region of the country has almost faded away the dengue fever outbreak that has badly hit population in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi this year though the three teaching hospitals in town are still receiving 10 to 20 confirmed patients of the infection per day on average.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Monday has revealed that the three allied hospitals in town received nearly 300 confirmed cases of dengue fever within last two weeks while in last three days, not more than 50 cases have been reported at the teaching hospitals in town that makes less than 20 patients per day on average, whereas the allied hospitals were receiving 40 to 50 confirmed patients per day on average some two weeks back.

To date, the three teaching hospitals have tested as many as 3,250 patients positive for the infection of which nearly 60 per cent, well over 2,000, are residents of the federal capital. Within last 24 hours, the allied hospitals tested as many as 14 patients of dengue fever positive while admitted as many as 24 new cases including probable cases of the infection.

On Monday, less than 70 patients of the infection including suspected cases were undergoing treatment both in dengue fever wards and high dependency units of the three teaching hospitals in town including Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital.

It is important to mention here that before the beginning of November, not less than 300 patients of dengue fever were undergoing treatment at the three teaching hospitals every day on average, while on average, well over 60 patients were tested positive daily.

In last 24 hours, Holy Family Hospital tested only five cases positive for the infection that took the total number of positive cases so far registered with the HFH to over 1,660. Presently, as many as 36 patients including 26 confirmed cases of the infection are undergoing treatment at the HFH.

As many as eight patients have been tested positive at Benazir Bhutto Hospital in last 24 hours taking the total number of confirmed patients registered with the BBH to 1,350. On Monday, a total of 12 patients of dengue fever including six confirmed cases were undergoing treatment at the BBH.

The District Headquarters Hospital, however, tested only one patient positive for the infection in last 24 hours that took the total number of patients confirmed positive at the DHQ Hospital to 234. As many as six patients of dengue fever, all confirmed ones were undergoing treatment at the DHQ Hospital on Monday.

The number of patients of dengue fever in town is continuously on the decline and within next two to three weeks, there would only be endemic cases of the infection from the region, said a top official serving at the allied hospitals pleading anonymity.

He, however, said at the time indoor surveillance is critical to avoid incidence of dengue fever as temperature inside homes may be suitable for growth and survival of ‘aedes aegypti’, the vector that causes dengue fever for another one month.