KARACHI, Oct 18: The death toll of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever rose to 20 with two more patients succumbing to the disease during the last 24 hours.

Ali Raza, 11, of Baldia Town, and Lal Bibi, 8, of Memon Goth, Malir, are the latest victims of mosquito-borne dengue fever who died at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH).

The last fatality attributed to any suspected Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF) had occurred on October 10 when a 22-year-old youth had succumbed while receiving treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).

The total number of suspected VHF patients under treatment at different hospitals has also risen to 186.

According to official sources, a total of 55 such in-house patients are under treatment at the Liaquat National Hospital (LNH). During the past 24 hours, till 2pm Wednesday, as many as 42 patients with the history of high-grade fever, chill, rigors, rashes, vomiting, abdominal pain and bleeding were brought to seven government and private hospitals for admission.

Giving details of the deaths at the NICH, its director Dr Afroze Sherali told Dawn on Wednesday that Ali Raza, who had been under treatment at the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), was admitted to her hospital on October 12 with a history of rashes, bleeding and fever. Similarly, Lal Bibi, who had been receiving treatment at some private hospital, was brought to the NICH on October 13 with a history of fever, bleeding and fits.

While efforts were under way to save their life, Ali Raza expired on October 15 and Lal Bibi the next day, while reports of their blood tests from a Karachi-based laboratory were awaited, she said, adding that some delay in notifying the deaths did occur because the NICH was waiting for the reports to determine whether the victims were confirmed dengue patients or not.

She said that until Wednesday, the institute had received 10 suspected VHF cases out of whom, two expired, two were discharged and the remaining ones were admitted for treatment. They all belonged to low-income group families living in Khokhrapar, Orangi, Malir and Landhi.

She advised parents not to take risk by delaying the treatment of their wards, adding that and upon noticing the symptoms linked to the dengue fever, they must rush the patient to some big hospital having relevant facilities, instead of reporting at ill-equipped and small hospitals or consulting local doctors. The timely diagnosis and intervention could help save the patient, she said.

Patients with suspected VHF fever continued to be taken to various hospitals in the city from DHA, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Garden East, M. A. Jinnah Road, PECHS, North Karachi, Malir, Nazimabad, Clifton, F B Area, Arambagh, North Nazimabad, Zamzama, Metroville, Dalmia, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Qasimabad, University Road, Aliyabad and Landhi on Wednesday.

Dr Abdul Majid, Additional Secretary Health, Sindh said that with the confirmation of another 24 dengue-positive cases on Wednesday, the Tuesday tally of 248 had risen to 272. The number of suspected dengue patients during June-October period has swelled to 971.

The present position at various hospitals is as under: AKU: 40 (07 new), LNH: 55 (10 new), CHK-08 (no new), JPMC: 27 (09 new), Dr Ziauddin Hospital: 27 (08 new), Bismillah Taqi Hospital: 05 (02 new), Hamid Hospital: 01 (no new), NICH-13 (04 new), Abbasi Shaheed Hospital: 05 (no new), and BUH: 05 (02 new).