Another 30 patients tested positive for dengue fever taking count to 65

Rawalpindi: A sharp increase in number of confirmed cases of dengue fever being reported here at the three teaching hospitals in town has been recorded last week with testing of over 30 patients positive for the infection that has taken the total number of confirmed patients so far registered with the allied hospitals to 65.

It is important that the first case of dengue fever from this region of the country this year was reported at Holy Family Hospital in the first week of July. The allied hospitals in town have registered nearly 30 confirmed patients of dengue fever in July this year.

Data collected by ‘The News’ has revealed that in last 24 hours, the allied hospitals have tested as many as 10 patients positive for dengue fever including seven patients at Benazir Bhutto Hospital and three at District Headquarters Hospital.

According to details, the HFH has tested a total of 20 patients positive for dengue fever so far while to date, as many as 19 patients have been tested positive at BBH, all in last one week. The DHQ Hospital has so far tested a total of 26 patients positive for dengue fever in this season.

According to health experts the spread of the infection and increase in number of confirmed dengue fever patients from the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi hint towards a possible outbreak of the infection in next few days as the existing weather conditions are considered as the most suitable for breeding and growth of dengue fever vector, the mosquitoes aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus.

It is important that usually, in this region, the aedes mosquitoes lay the first eggs of the year at the beginning of May and the mosquito density is maximal in early July, late August and early September. The egg laying activity remains continued until November though the larval density reaches to its peak in September.

All the factors considered as genuine for spread and outbreak of the infection including temperature, humidity, rainfall and urban and artificial flooding along with infected patients are there in existence, said the experts.

It is important that the dengue fever mosquitoes both ‘Aedes Aegypty’ and ‘Aedes Albopictus’ are vectors for causing dengue fever as the female mosquitoes carry one of the four types of dengue virus from the dengue patient to the healthy person and transmit the disease.

We may expect a possible outbreak of dengue fever in coming weeks though at the time, the situation is well under control, said Head of Department of Infectious Diseases at HFH Dr. Muhammad Mujeeb Khan while talking to ‘The News’.