RAWALPINDI: While temperature has dropped to 10 degrees Celsius in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, there is still no end to dengue cases in the garrison city.

On Saturday, 99 patients tested positive for dengue virus and landed in government hospitals from different parts of the district.

A total of 4938 people have been affected by the virus in the current season and 11 deaths from the disease while 4647 patients were discharged from hospitals after treatment.

As many as 291 patients are currently admitted in hospitals and seven of them are critical while the dengue serology reports of 10 are awaited.

Officials said 66 patients were in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), 91 in Holy Family Hospital, 47 in Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital, 25 in Fauji Foundation Hospital and 63 in private hospital.

Most of the patients arrived from Dhoke Munchsee, Kotha Kalan, Tench Bhatta, Satellite Town, Mangtal, Afshan Colony, Naseerabad, Shallay Valley, Adiala Road, Rehmatabad, Chaklala, Gulistan Colony, Dhamial, Takht Pari, Gangal, Chak Jalaldin and adjoining areas.

When contacted, District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Asif Arbab Niazi said the number of dengue patients was reducing fast and it would reduce further next week.

He said earlier more than 140 dengue patients were reported daily and this number has reduced to 100, which will end by the start of December.

He said dengue mosquitoes entered houses after chill in the air outside.

He said the health authority had sped up its campaign to spray in houses.

This year, a new variant of dengue was witnessed and thus the number of patients increased in mid-September to November.

“Punjab government has decided to conduct a research to manage the dengue virus in the next season as this season has almost ended,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2024