KARACHI, Sept 21: Amidst fears that the mosquito-borne dengue infection continues to pose a threat to the city, a 17-year-old girl died due to dengue shock syndrome (DSS) at a private hospital this week.

A doctor said that reports showed the girl, who died at a hospital located on Stadium Road, was brought from the DHA about five days ago.

The patient was a typical case of dengue hemorrhagic fever as its main criteria like fever, hemorrhagic tendencies, thrombocytopenia and plasma leakage, were present in her.

A senior doctor said that as per apprehensions, her hospital too had received patients suspected of suffering from hemorrhagic fever from different areas of the city in the last two weeks or so.

Some of them were tested positive for dengue fever but recovered since they were rushed to the hospital in time, the doctor added.

A health officer said that hospitals both in the city and outside it did inform about the admission of suspected dengue patients, but those reports were rare and were passed on informally; as such an alarming situation did not arise.

A source in the provincial health department said that a staffer of a private teaching university hospital at a meeting — not related to dengue fever — had indicated a couple of days ago that his hospital too had received suspected dengue patients.

However, the department is yet to get a formal account of the cases in writing from the hospital, the source added.

Two dengue fever cases were reported at a private city hospital in February of this year.