Dengue larva found in 5,279 houses in Lahore

LAHORE : After coronavirus, the seasonal dengue virus rears its head again this year with maximum vector concentration in Lahore and Rawalpindi in the province.

According to the dengue situation report prepared by Communicable Diseases and Epidemic Prevention and Control (CD&EPC), Directorate General Health Services Punjab, Aedes Aegypti larvae (dengue spreading mosquitoes) have been detected in as many as 5,279 houses in Lahore and 1,958 households in Rawalpindi during the last one week. Besides, the dengue larva was also found in 119 houses in Faisalabad, in 87 houses in Chakwal, 60 in Attock, 39 in Sheikhupura, 38 in Gujranwala, 22 in Multan, 13 in Sargodha, seven in Mianwali, two in Kasur and in one house in Nankana Sahib in the last one week alone.

Similarly, the Aesdes larva has been found at 508 outdoor spots in Lahore and 299 outdoor spots in Rawalpindi during the last one week. Besides, the dengue larva was also detected at 81 outdoor spots in Faisalabad, 31 in Gujranwala, 22 in Sheikhupura, 14 in Attock, 11 in Kasur, nine in Chakwal, eight in Sargodha, four each in Okara and Multan, three each in Gujrat and Chiniot, two each in Mianwali and Hafizabad, and one outdoor spot each in Sahiwal and Mandi Bahauddin.

According to dengue surveillance report from January 1 till date in 2020 in all 36 districts in Punjab, as many as 60,585 suspected cases of dengue were examined, out of which 82 were probable cases and 48 cases were confirmed. In the last 24 hours alone in Punjab, as many as 526 suspected cases of dengue were examined, two were probable cases and one case was confirmed.

In Punjab, as many as 14 districts have reported confirmed cases of dengue fever and 22 districts have not reported dengue fever positive cases so far.

As per Breteau Index (number of positive containers per 100 houses inspected), 55 households were infested with dengue larva including 34 in Rawalpindi and 21 in Lahore during the last one week.

As per weekly report, out of the total 48 confirmed cases of dengue virus in Punjab this year so far, five cases each were confirmed during weeks 23 and 34, four cases each in weeks 30 and 35, three cases in week 33, two cases each in weeks 12, 17, 26, 28, 31 and 32, and one case each in weeks 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 19, 21, 22 and 25. However, no death due to dengue virus has been reported this year in Punjab so far.

According to gender ratio report, out of the confirmed 48 cases of dengue fever in Punjab, 79 per cent patients are male and 21 per cent are female patients.

According to three-month dengue fever profile from June to August in the last three years from 2018-2020, as many as eight confirmed cases of dengue virus each were reported during June and July, and 15 cases in August in 2020.

In the corresponding period in the year 2019, as many as six cases of dengue fever were confirmed in June, 11 cases in July and 449 cases were confirmed in August. In 2018, 10 cases of dengue virus were confirmed in June, 20 cases in July and 15 cases were confirmed in August.

According to a spokesman for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) of Punjab, the year 2019 was marked with an epidemic of dengue fever with primary origin in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The epidemic started in August and subsided in November.

He said that the P&SHD along with other departments produced a strongly coordinated field response to this event to bring the progress of dengue virus spread in check.