Dengue cases rising as 743 test positive in KP

PESHAWAR: The rising number of dengue fever cases has set the alarm bells ringing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as about 743 patients have tested positive for the mosquito-borne disease in the province.

In KP, Nowshera, Buner and Khyber districts are affected the most. Nowshera recorded 193 positive cases, Buner 177 and Khyber 118.

In Nowshera, Jhangira and Shaidu are stated to be the two hotspot areas for the dengue virus. Many people in Dokhel, Ali Sherkhel and Abakhel villages in Buner are suffering from the mosquito-borne disease and several of them have been hospitalised. The two villages that suffered badly from dengue virus included Metakhel and Mirikhel.

Peshawar is stated to be the fourth most affected district from dengue virus

where 37 people tested positive, but the number of patients suffering from dengue fever is believed to be higher than other places in KP.

As happened in the past, Safid Dheri, Danishabad, Canal Road, Baghwanan localities in Peshawar again started suffering from the viral infection.

In addition to the corona patients, the three medical teaching institutions (MTIs) in Peshawar, including Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) and Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) were facing the burden of

dengue patients. In KTH, 17 dengue patients, 11 females and six males, are presently admitted.

The hospital in the past 24 hours has received hundreds of patients with fever and 1416 were advised to investigate dengue in which 172 tested positive.

Most of the patients were taken from nearby localities including Tehkal, Academy Town, Sufaid Dheri, Danishabad, Sarband, and Khyber tribal district. The HMC is presently treating 10 dengue patients.

It conducted a dengue investigation on 125 patients and 37 tested positive.

Other districts also reported dengue positives cases, including Mansehra, 35, Bajaur and Haripur 19 each, Darra Adamkhel 23, Mardan 14, Swabi 11, Battagram 10, Kohat 5, Swat and Shangla two each, while Abbottabad, Bannu, Lower Dir, Hangu, and Mohmand tribal district recorded one each positive case of dengue virus.

According to health experts, dengue virus has spread to each and every corner of the province but due to poor surveillance systems, actual data of patients and fatalities caused by the mosquito-borne disease are not reported properly.