Dengue fever outbreak loses intensity

Rawalpindi :The dengue fever outbreak that has badly hit population in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi this year is losing intensity after the sharp fall in mercury in this region of the country however the three teaching hospitals in town are still receiving five to 10 confirmed patients of the infection per day on average.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Saturday has revealed that the three allied hospitals in town including Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital received as many as 58 confirmed cases of dengue fever within last one week while in last 24 hours, only six confirmed cases have been reported at the teaching hospitals in town.

For the last two weeks, the infection has not claimed any life at the allied hospitals though at least 41 deaths had already been reported at the three hospitals from September 5 to November 15 this year due to the infection.

To date, the three teaching hospitals have tested as many as 11,983 patients positive for the infection of which nearly 40 per cent, well over 4,700, are residents of the federal capital. Within last 24 hours, the allied hospitals tested as many as six patients of dengue fever positive while admitted six new cases including probable cases of the infection. On Saturday, the allied hospitals had to receive final results in four cases.

On Saturday, a total of 27 patients of the infection including suspected cases were undergoing treatment in dengue fever wards at the allied hospitals. However 11 of the 27 patients were admitted to the high dependency unit at HFH on Saturday. Despite a significant fall in temperature, the allied hospitals received 83 patients at their dengue fever outpatient departments on Saturday.

It is however important to mention here that before the beginning of November, well over 430 patients of dengue fever were undergoing treatment at the three teaching hospitals every day on average while on average, 110 to 140 patients were tested positive daily. In the last week of October this year, the allied hospitals were receiving 1,200 to 1,600 patients at their dengue OPDs.

In last 24 hours, the HFH tested only five cases positive for the infection that took the total number of positive cases so far registered with the HFH to 6,216. Presently, as many as 15 patients including 11 confirmed cases of the infection are undergoing treatment at the HFH.

Only one patient has been tested positive at BBH in last 24 hours taking the total number of confirmed patients registered with the BBH to 3,457. On Saturday, only five patients of dengue fever including two confirmed cases were undergoing treatment at the BBH.

The DHQ Hospital, however, has not received any confirmed patient of dengue fever in last 24 hours though seven patients including two confirmed patients were undergoing treatment at the hospital on Saturday. The total number of patients confirmed positive at the DHQ Hospital this year has touched the figure of 2,310.

The number of dengue fever patients in the region is continuously on the decline and according to health experts, there would only be sporadic cases of the infection after a week or so. Experts, however, say that indoor surveillance, at the time 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.