PESHAWAR: Dengue fever claimed another life as number of patients in the city hospitals began receding here on Monday.

So far 34 persons have died of the vector-borne ailment, mostly in Peshawar, where the disease has become endemic in three union councils.

Muzamil Shah, 14, a resident of Tehkal, died at the Khyber Teaching Hospital, according to a press release issued by the Dengue Response Unit.

It said that 68 of the total 195 positive patients were admitted to hospitals during the last 24 hours. A total of 1,148 were examined throughout the province, mainly at the medical teaching institutions of the provincial capital.

A day earlier, 1,204 people were screened, of which, 307 emerged positive and 120 patients were hospitalised, while 95 were sent home from the hospitals.

Currently, 276 patients, including 179 at the KTH, 27 at the Kuwait Teaching Hospital, and 22 at the Lady Reading Hospital, are being treated, and 109 patients have been sent home after recovery.

Meanwhile, Karim Jan, a member of the district council Peshawar, has expressed concern over the spread of dengue virus and has asked the relevant authorities to take remedial measures to safeguard the people. He said more than a dozen cases had been reported from Hazarkhwani locality and the people feared that it could snowball into a major public health issue if immediate steps weren’t taken.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2017