Intense dengue fever outbreak hits Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi: The three teaching hospitals in town have tested over 1,000 patients positive for dengue fever in last 10 days showing that the outbreak of the infection has still been in its most intense phase and the trend provides convincing evidence that people should take preventive measures more religiously to avoid dengue fever.
Data collected by ‘The News’ on Saturday reveals that as many as 84 patients have been confirmed positive for dengue fever in last 24 hours while the infection has claimed eight lives so far during the recent spike. To date, the allied hospitals have tested a total of 3123 patients positive for the infection that is a new record as compared to number of patients in last five years.
According to details, Holy Family Hospital tested a total of 1,261 patients positive for dengue fever while as many as 1,438 have been confirmed positive for the infection at Benazir Bhutto Hospital and 424 at District Headquarters Hospital. The infection claimed seven lives at HFH and one at BBH so far.
In last 24 hours, as many as 42 patients were tested positive at BBH, 30 at HFH and 12 at DHQ Hospital. On Saturday, a total of 303 patients including confirmed and suspected ones were undergoing treatment at BBH, HFH and DHQ Hospital while another 16 patients were relatively in critical condition at High Dependency Units of the allied hospitals.
On Saturday, as many as six patients of dengue shock syndrome and 47 patients of dengue hemorrhagic fever were undergoing treatment at HFH while nine patients with DHF were admitted to BBH and two were undergoing treatment at DHQ Hospital. The cases of DHF are differentiated from dengue fever on the basis of history of bleeding from gum or skin while the mortality rate of DSS is much higher as compared to dengue fever.
The intensity of the recent dengue fever outbreak can be gauged from the fact that the allied hospitals have so far registered a total of 27,667 suspected cases of the infection while admitted well over 4,700 patients for treatment. To date, over 4,800 patients have been taken as probable cases of the infection at the allied hospitals.
The dengue fever counters at the three allied hospitals have so far screened a total of 33,112 patients for dengue fever while as many as 1,106 confirmed patients of the infection were found to be suffering from DHF.
Many health experts believe that the recent dengue fever outbreak would lose its intensity after fall in temperature however, at present the intensity is static and the allied hospitals are receiving heavy influx of confirmed patients consistently.
The fall in temperature would certainly cause reduction in number of cases of the infection but at the moment, it is important that individuals should not take the situation less alarming instead they should take preventive measures more seriously, said Medical Superintendent at HFH Dr. Raja Shafiq Sarwar while talking to ‘The News’ on Saturday.