July 20, 2008	Sunday	Rajab 16, 1429

ISLAMABAD, July 19: Another suspect of dengue fever was admitted in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, hospital administration said here on Saturday.

The administration said that the samples of blood of the suspect had been sent to National Institute of Health for viral serology of dengue virus.

Faisal, 16, a native of Hazara, was brought to the hospital with history of fever and severe headache and body pains by his father, a daily wage labourer.

He kept in the Medical ward-VI under the observation of doctors. His blood samples were taken and sent to NIH on Saturday.

Earlier, Zulqurnain, a student of class 10 and resident of Shakrial, brought to the hospital two days back with complaints of fever, was tested positive for the disease. He was referred to Pims by Federal Government Services Hospital. He was kept in the isolation ward — Medical ward II— of the hospital.

The administration said he would remain under observation for the next three weeks as the condition gets deteriorated after the period. The administration claimed that “there is no vaccination for the disease and also there is no specific treatment for it in the world.”

Usually the treatment is symptomatic and patient is treated according to symptoms. Drugs are given for pain, fever, vomiting, bleeding, etc. Dengue is due to a flavivirus transmitted by the bite of the Aedes mosquito.

An estimated 50 to 100 million cases of dengue fever and several hundred thousand cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever occur each year worldwide. The incubation period is 3 to 15 days.

Meanwhile, on the special directions of Chief Commissioner Islamabad Hamid Ali Khan, Capital Development Authority and district health department have launched special anti-dengue virus drive in Islamabad for prevention of the dengue fever.

The CC has directed the district health authorities to take all proactive and preemptive measures in the city against the dengue virus and ensure the protection of health of the citizens.