ISLAMABAD: The District Health Office has intensified dengue surveillance across the capital after 42 cases were reported in Islamabad since January, with authorities focusing particularly on identifying hotspots and high-risk areas.

According to the latest surveillance data, 32 of the reported cases were detected in rural areas, while 10 were reported from urban areas between Jan 1 and Oct 16.

Anti-dengue teams conducted 382,452 surveillance and control activities across Islamabad during October. The operations included indoor and outdoor surveillance, visits to identified hotspots, larval-source surveillance and community awareness campaigns.

Officials said the teams identified and eliminated 7,669 sites with mosquito larvae during the operations, helping curb the potential spread of dengue in the capital.

As part of the hotspot surveillance campaign, teams visited 10,084 locations, while indoor vector-surveillance teams inspected 72,305 houses to identify possible breeding sites.

The District Health Office said continuous field surveillance, timely identification and elimination of mosquito-breeding sites, and regular monitoring of hotspots were essential to keeping dengue transmission under control.

It urged residents to cooperate with anti-dengue teams during field operations and take preventive measures at their homes and workplaces.

Citizens have been advised to keep water containers, rooftops, yards and other potential mosquito-breeding sites clean and free of stagnant water.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2026