KARACHI: The city officials and the public need to be reminded of the dengue threat that looms large now that summer is round the corner.

Dengue fever will return with a vengeance when the dormant mosquito eggs hatch. The government must act now and create awareness among the public besides eradicating the mosquitoes’ breeding grounds. Dr Naseem Salahuddin, a very senior expert on infectious diseases, gave this warning while commenting on the city’s vulnerability to dengue.

Dr Salahuddin, who is head of the Infectious Diseases Department at Liaquat National Hospital, said the Aedes aegypti mosquito bearing the dengue virus was temporarily in respite because of winter, but as soon as the weather became warmer it would resurface.

“Since three serotypes of dengue are present, Karachi is now a hyper endemic area.

2007 will see a decline in cases in the earlier months due to the cold and dry climate. But, later there will be an upsurge in morbidity and mortality numbers. The government and the public must understand that dengue cannot be eliminated and will continue to be a threat to life. There is no vaccine to treat it. People who have had dengue fever, are now at a higher risk of developing severe illness if they are-infected again,” she said.

Stressing the need for a collaborative approach towards the dengue menace, she opined that the government alone cannot tackle this problem successfully until and unless the public is motivated into action.

“Insecticide spraying is unreliable as it may kill some adult mosquitoes but not the larvae. At the moment, there is no vaccine available for dengue treatment. So, elimination of breeding places is the only solution. The city government should focus on repairing leaking pipes, clogged drainage system and pot holes where water can collect. At the same time, people should look after their homes and neighbourhoods, ensuring there is no breeding place for mosquitoes,” she stated.

She maintained, the sites where mosquitoes breed should be identified and shown repeatedly on TV to educate the public about the numerous sites which they couldn’t possibly think could play host to the dengue larvae. For instance, ornamental pools were excellent larvae breeding places. They should be either drained or filled with larvae eating fish, she suggested.

She also advised that expertise be acquired from Malaysia and Singapore where dengue had been controlled to a large extent by training healthcare workers. Last year, 4,561 suspected patients of dengue were hospitalised in Sindh. Dengue also claimed 50 lives in Sindh, of these, 46 deaths were in Karachi alone. The city government and the Sindh Health Department have planned a meeting this month to chalk out a strategy to control the spread of dengue and malaria.