ISLAMABAD: The management of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has claimed that fewer dengue cases are being reported from the federal capital, compared to Rawalpindi, due to better administrative arrangements.

Over 160 cases have been reported in Rawalpindi so far this year, while 15 have been confirmed in Islamabad.

However, a doctor at a Rawalpindi hospital, who asked to remain anonymous, said a significant number of patients from Islamabad, from areas such as I-9, I-10 and Ghauri Town, are admitted to Rawalpindi hospitals.

Over 160 cases reported from the garrison city so far this year, 15 confirmed in Islamabad

“There is an impression that the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) has been designed specifically for dengue patients and doctors have been trained abroad, so dengue patients from both cities prefer to visit HFH,” he said.

Pims spokesperson Dr Ayesha Isani said last year, 95 dengue cases were confirmed in the hospital. She added that of the 15 confirmed cases so far this year, five patients were admitted on Sunday.

Around 3,300 cases of dengue were reported in Rawalpindi last year.

“It shows that there are much better arrangements in the federal capital and there are no mosquito breeding spots. Most of the cases reported in Islamabad have come from areas bordering Rawalpindi, such as I.J. Principal Road, I-12 and I-16,” she said.

“There is a water supply problem in Rawalpindi, and the storage of water is a challenge, so people store water in buckets etc. Rainwater accumulates under garbage and becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Moreover, the water from Leh Nullah is stored in small ponds which also become mosquito breeding grounds.”

Dr Isani added that the number of cases in both cities would continue to increase, as dengue cases are reported until November. “After that mosquitoes die out because of low temperatures,” she explained.

When asked, Dr Isani admitted that the Rawal Dam could be a huge breeding area for dengue mosquitoes, but due to the weeding of bushes and its distance from the city’s residents, it would not become a threat.

But Dr Javaid Usman, a microbiologist, told Dawn there could be a number of reasons for the disparity in confirmed dengue cases, besides better administrative measures.

“The other reason for the difference in the number of patients could be lifestyle [differences]. Islamabad’s population is spread out, but there are densely populated areas in Rawalpindi due to which the likelihood of the presence of mosquitoes is higher,” he said.

Dr Usman added that it must be ensured that accurate reporting is carried out in both cities. He said while there is a centre in Rawalpindi with a system in place that provides an accurate number of patients, the same is not true for Islamabad.

“Mosquitoes will die out once the temperate chances because it cannot survive in extreme temperate. However, they can be eradicated by ensuring there are no breeding sites for mosquitoes.” He said mosquitoes bite from dawn to dusk and prefer darker areas.

Dengue is transmitted through mosquito bites, and causes a deficiency in platelets in patients. The transfusion of platelets is required, as a patient’s blood loses its normal clotting ability. If timely treatment is not provided, life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever could develop, which may lead to bleeding, low platelet levels, blood plasma leakage or dengue shock syndrome – dangerously low blood pressure.

Pakistan has experienced many dengue outbreaks, since its first in 1994.

Two major outbreaks were reported over the last 20 years: in 2005, when more than 6,000 cases and 52 deaths were reported from Karachi, and in 2011, when over 21,000 cases and 350 cases were reported from Lahore. Between 2011 and 2014, over 48,000 laboratory-confirmed dengue cases have been reported across the country.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2016