KARACHI: Over 4,000 cases of dengue fever have been reported this month, with a death in Hyderabad in the last 24 hours, raising the tally to 21 in more than a month, the health department reported on Wednesday.

According to the department’s data, more than half of this month’s total cases have been reported in Hyderabad (2118), followed by Karachi (1,857). A total of 9,638 cases have been reported this year.

Sources said the situation was far more serious than what is presented by official data and that the official figures didn’t represent the ground reality.

They pointed out that there was no official mechanism in place to get feedback from private clinics operating in every nook and corner of a locality, as well as private hospitals. Many people constrained by their financial resources didn’t even opt for laboratory tests.

Total of 9,638 cases reported in Sindh this year

Given the alarming situation, health experts have called upon the government to intensify public awareness and vector control measures.

Complications in cases, they say, occur due to self-medication and inadequate hydration. Some medications, including painkillers and antibiotics, can cause a low platelet count, which may lead to excessive bleeding.

Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infection transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, remains a recurring health concern in Sindh.

Experts have attributed the surge in the cases to a lack of fumigation and the delayed drainage of water accumulated after the heavy monsoon rains.

Most people with dengue have mild or no symptoms and recover within one to two weeks. Symptoms may include high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting and rash.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2025