RAWALPINDI: A sharp increase in the number of dengue fever cases has been seen in Rawalpindi district as 36 more persons were diagnosed with the disease during the last 24 hours.

Epidemics Prevention and Control (DCEPC) District Coordinator Dr Sajjad Mehmood on Wednesday said that the number of dengue patients in district health facilities was continuously increasing while the district government along with district health authority and others had made arrangements to control the situation.

During the last 24 hours, he said, 27 patients arrived from Potohar town, three from Taxila Cantonment, two

from Rawalpindi Cantonment and Municipal Corporation, Rawalpindi area and one each from Kahuta and Taxila (rural area).

He added that around 142 suspected dengue fever patients were brought to the city’s hospitals in the last 24 hours, out of which 36 tested positive.

He also said that 10 dengue patients with positive symptoms were

admitted to the Holy Family Hospital, three to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital and one to the District Headquarters Hospital.

Dr Sajjad said that the district administration had sealed 352 premises, registered 897 first information reports (FIRs), issued challans to 1,160, notices to 5,427, and a fine of Rs3,145,500 was imposed on people for violating standard operating procedures (SOPs) in various areas of the district since Jan 1, 2022.

He said a full-scale fumigation drive was underway in different district localities, mainly where dengue larvae had been found.

The health officer said that that the prevailing weather was suitable for breeding dengue larvae and asked the concerned authorities to remove stagnant water in outdoor and household settings to stop mosquitoes from breeding after rain.

Dr Sajjad advised residents to adopt preventive measures and inform the department immediately if dengue larvae were found in their houses as the government alone cannot check the spread of dengue larvae.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2022