The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government Thursday urged masses to adopt all precautionary measures against dengue fever and protect their families from the fatal disease. The KP Information department in a press release issued here said that dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral infection, found in tropical and sub-tropical climates, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas. The symptoms of the disease typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. These may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash while the recovery generally takes two to three weeks. According to health experts and WHO there is no specific treatment for dengue, however early detection of the disease and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates of severe dengue to below one percent. It said that the global incidence of dengue has grown dramatically in recent decades. About half of the world’s population is now at risk. There are an estimated 100-400 million infections each year. The preventive measures include effective vector control measures through sustained community involvement, adding that during monsoon season the mosquito lays eggs in clean drinking water ponds from September to December.