The fatal dengue virus is taking the shape of an epidemic in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as the infection toll this year is near 20,000 mark. During the ongoing year, the mosquito-borne disease has claimed 16 lives in the province with fears of an uptick in the death toll. According to the report of the KP health department, 188 new cases of the virus were reported in the KP province during the last 24 hours, taking the total infection toll to 19,900. According to the report, 123 new cases of dengue were reported only in the provincial capital Peshawar. Various areas of the province including Tehkal, Safid Dheri, Danish Abad and Canal Town have emerged as the hotspots. The KP government has claimed that it was providing dengue test and treatment facilities in all public hospitals while the local administrations were engaged in efforts to control the rapidly spreading disease.