First cases of dengue fever tested positive at HFH

Rawalpindi: One of the three teaching hospitals in town, Holy Family Hospital (HFH) has tested two patients positive for dengue fever, the first confirmed cases of the infection this year though none of the patients are residents of the district.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Monday has revealed that one the patients tested positive for dengue fever reached HFH from Sargodha while the other is a resident of AJK. Both the patients have achieved complete cure and have been discharged after treatment.

Both the patients reached HFH with signs and symptoms of dengue fever and they were admitted to dengue fever ward at Department of Infectious Diseases (DID) after being suspected as patients of dengue fever. After dengue serology, their tests came out to be positive for the infection, said Head of DID Dr. Muhammad Mujeeb Khan while talking to ‘The News’ on Monday.

He, however, added that not a single patient from Rawalpindi district has so far been tested positive for dengue fever this year. To date, the HFH has registered nearly 300 suspects of dengue fever this year however only two patients, one from Sargodha and the other from AJK has been tested positive through NS1 test at the HFH, said Dr. Mujeeb.

According to technical guidelines prepared by Dengue Expert Advisory Group of the Punjab government, a case can be confirmed positive only through NS1 test under the criterion set in some four years back.

Many health experts believe that the confirmation of dengue fever patients from AJK and Sargodha has increased chances of spread of the infection in this region particularly because the population in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi has been facing severe dengue fever spikes for last four years.

To a query, Dr. Mujeeb said the DID at the HFH is seriously working on effective case management of patients and suspects of dengue fever and it has already notified the provincial health department and relevant district health departments of the confirmation of the first confirmed cases of dengue fever reported at HFH.