BAHAWALPUR: The second dengue fever case of 2019 has been reported at the Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) here on Monday, causing concern among the public as well as government health circles.

BVH Emergency Director and focal person Dr Aamir Bokhari told Dawn that Ashraf of Jalalpur Peerwala, Lodhran district, was admitted to the hospital on April 13 and was tested positive for dengue virus.

He said the patient was being treated in the BVH isolation ward.

Dr Bukhari said Ashraf, worked as a tailor in Karachi and had arrived at Jalalpur Peerwala a few days ago.

He said the patient might have contracated dengue virus in Karachi.

He said a local woman, Nasrean, was the first to test positive for the dengue virus at the BVH on Jan 2 and was discharged from the hospital after she got cured.

The director expressed apprehension that with the rise in temperatures, the dengue cases could register an increase.

He said as a precautionary measure, arrangements to check the virus had been made at the BVH, which also received a large number of patients from the areas of Chishtian in Bahawalnagar district and Khanpur in the Rahim Yar Khan district.

In this connection, he said, an isolation ward comprising 10 beds for the patients testing positive for viruses like HINI, dengue and Congo had been established at the BVH.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2019