Daily Times

In a major dengue outbreak, Peshawar reported 213 new cases of the fever in the last 24 hours. A recent spike in the number of dengue virus infections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab has started. This is ringing alarm bells among health professionals.

According to the KP health department, 440 dengue virus cases have been detected in a week. KP health department recorded the number across the province. The department tested 6,549 people.

On the other hand, the tests detected dengue in 17 patients in Punjab in the last 24 hours. Ten of them are from Lahore.

Dubbed “breakbone fever”, dengue is one of the world’s leading mosquito-borne illnesses. It infects tens of millions across the globe annually.

Health officials said that they are facing difficulties in controlling dengue, which is mainly due to the abundance of mosquitoes.

The presence of stagnant water in various areas across the province is also a major factor. Stagnant water serves as a breeding ground for the insects.

On Monday, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Faisal Sultan spoke about a possible dengue outbreak in Islamabad. He said that people shouldn’t let rainwater accumulation anywhere as it serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Health secretary issues warning

Earlier, Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Secretary Sarah Aslam issued a notification. She issued a notification on 8th August. He directed the department to intensify dengue prevention across Punjab as the provincial capital detected two cases.

As per the notification, Lahore confirmed two cases of dengue.