KARACHI, Oct 11: Perturbed over the resurgence of dengue in Karachi, the federal government is likely to conduct a comprehensive entomological survey in the city which has seen an outbreak of this mosquito-borne tropical disease.
An official of the federal health ministry from Islamabad said that based on the survey results the government wanted to come up with a concrete strategy to eliminate the mosquitoes responsible for the spread of the deadly disease.
According to data available from the dengue monitoring cell of the Sindh health department, another 34 patients suspected to have contracted dengue fever were rushed to seven public and private hospitals of the city during the last 24 hours ending at 3pm on Thursday.
The number of such patients, as reported by 22 city hospitals, has reached 855, out of which 375 have been tested positive for dengue fever, while seven patients including five women have died due to dengue so far.
The source in the health ministry said that the Directorate of Malaria Control, Ministry of Health, Islamabad, had requested the World Health Organisation (WHO) to extend financial assistance in the entomological investigation to be conducted in Karachi.
The WHO had already supported the malaria control directorate for a similar investigation carried out in districts of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, after some confirmed dengue cases were reported from those areas in September 2007.
According to the official, the aim of the survey, likely to be launched after Eidul Fitr, will be to probe into the factors responsible for the re-emergence of dengue in Karachi and to identify the potential breeding grounds of vector mosquitoes other than Aedes aegypti and subsequently to advise suitable preventive and control measures.
Mohammad Mukhtar, Senior Entomologist at the Directorate of Malaria Control, Islamabad, said that after microscopic identification of mosquito samples collected under the WHO supported investigation on dengue fever in Islamabad/Rawalpindi it was found that Aedes aegypti had an association with water bodies inside the houses while Aedes albopictus showed association with open places. However, both species showed association with fresh water.
The expert said that data showed that Aedes albopictus might be the major vector of dengue and the possibility of relation of some vector other than Aedes aegypti with dengue could not be ruled out.
He said that heavy monsoon rains had hit the country and there had been severe floods in most of the country particularly in Balochistan and Sindh this year.
This situation might result in an increase in the breeding of malaria carrying mosquitoes and on the other hand increased humidity levels might enhance the hatching of eggs of dengue carrying mosquitoes as well, he remarked.
In the meantime, Sindh health department dengue-related daily report suggested that a maximum of 56 dengue patients are under medical attention in Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, followed by Patel general hospital with 19 in-house patients, Civil Hospital Karachi with 15, the Holy Family Hospital and Dr Ziauddin Hospital with 14 cases each and others.
