RAWALPINDI: While the cold weather has started in the garrison city, there is still no end to arrival of dengue patients in hospitals. However, experts said the number of dengue cases will reduce by the end of this week.

On Tuesday, nine more dengue patients landed in government hospitals, taking the tally of cases in 2024 to 6,559 with 11 deaths.

According to a report issued by the Rawalpindi Health Department, 36 dengue-affected patients are currently admitted to hospitals, of which 11 are in Holy Family Hospital, three in Benazir Bhutto Hospital, two in Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital, and 22 patients in private hospitals. Potohar Town area was worst affected by dengue.

On the other hand, experts blamed climate change in prolonging the prevalence of dengue virus and said the maximum temperature usually decreased to below 16 degrees Celsius in November but this year it was still at 18 degrees.

A senior doctor of Holy Family Hospital said the number of dengue patients had reduced to the single digit but it would likely end by mid-December.

He said most of the patients who arrived in the hospital had contracted the virus 10 to 15 days ago.

He said the number of dengue patients would further reduce when the maximum temperature would decrease to less than 16 degrees.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2024