Daily Times

KARACHI: Health authorities have failed to control dengue virus in the metropolitan city of Karachi as fresh cases of dengue fever cases emerged in city during one week time, health officials said. According to a report issued by Prevention and Control Program for Dengue Sindh, 75 more dengue cases have been reported from Karachi during the last week, taking the patients toll to 1,408 in the city since 1st January 2016. In Karachi, a total of 75 more dengue fever cases were detected out of which 18 were reported from District Central, 11 from District South, nine from District West, 19 from District East, and nine each from District Korangi and District Malir. As per World Health Organization, dengue is transmitted by the bite of a mosquito infected with one of the four dengue virus serotypes. It is a febrile illness that affects infants, young children and adults with symptoms appearing 3-14 days after the infective bite. “87 new dengue fever cases surfaced in Sindh province from 07 to 13 October 2016 out of which 75 were detected in Karachi, five each in Hyderabad & Mithi and one each in Sukkur and Naushero Feroze,” report added. Total of three deaths were reported from dengue fever in the province so far out of which two from Karachi and one from Shaheed Benazirabad, while a death caused by dengue fever in Karachi could not be confirmed by health officials.