KARACHI: A teenage girl died of dengue fever on Sunday at the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Centre (SIDH&RC), raising the official tally to 26 in the province since October.

The data released by the provincial health department showed that the 19-year-old girl was a resident of Korangi.

Sources said that the victim had fits when her family rushed her to the hospital.

“She reported to us with dengue encephalitis, a rare and severe complication of dengue fever,” a senior doctor at SIDH&RC told Dawn, adding that the girl passed away a day after admission.

The symptoms of dengue encephalitis, he pointed out, included seizures, muscle weakness, confusion or disorientation, and altered consciousness or coma.

Doctor says there’s no decline in cases despite drop in temperature

According to sources, the total number of dengue fever deaths at SIDH&RC — where currently 30 patients are battling the mosquito-borne viral infection — has risen to 13 this year.

“Despite a drop in temperature, we are not seeing any decline in cases right now. I think we might have to wait until December to see a noticeable decline in cases in Karachi,” he said.

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Official figures show that a total of 727 patients — 269 in Karachi and 458 in Hyderabad — tested positive for dengue fever in the last 24 hours.

“Currently, 271 patients are under treatment at government hospitals and 171 at private healthcare facilities. The provincial tally of cases has risen to 6,708 this month, while a total of 12,284 cases have been recorded this year,” said a statement released by the health department.

According to experts, dengue is not a communicable disease. However, during the first four to five days of fever, an infected person can transmit the virus to mosquitoes, which can then infect others. Even during recovery, if Aedes mosquitoes are around, protection is essential.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2025