LAHORE: On Saturday, dengue hemorrhagic fever claimed three more lives while 73 new cases were reported in Punjab during the past 24 hours. Punjab’s Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department today confirmed 73 new cases of dengue fever. The health department stated that 151 persons have died of dengue fever this year in Punjab. It has recorded 25,605 cases overall. Overall cases in Lahore have surged up to 18,079 with 125 new cases of the disease. According to the statistics, 150 patients are currently admitted to different government hospitals across Punjab. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has rapidly spread in recent years around the world. These mosquitoes are also vectors of chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika viruses. Dengue is widespread throughout the tropics, with local variations in risk influenced by rainfall, temperature, relative humidity and unplanned rapid urbanization.