Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

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Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-n...ional/Lahore/04-May-2009/Dengue-hits-saviours

Dengue hits 'saviours'
By: Asif Chaudhry | Published: May 04, 2009

LAHORE - Two top medics of Jinnah Hospital have suffered severe attacks of dengue virus and acute pyogenic meningitis respectively causing serious concern among other doctors and paramedical staff.
It is worth mentioning that the dengue fever patients have started appearing in the public hospitals, as it was the seventh case of dengue reported in the during the last two months.
Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Department Dr Shakil Khan Ghauri was suffering from dengue fever while Additional Medical Superintendent (AMS) Dr Zulfiqar Siddiqui has been kept under intensive care due to acute pyogenic meningitis. The condition of the later is reported to be serious and has been shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital. Late night on Sunday, he has been put on ventilator (machine for artificial breathing) with bleak chances of his recovery, the doctors said.
On the other hand, Dr Shakil Khan took leaves for a few days to stay home after he was tested positive for dengue fever in the clinical reports, which suggested complete bed rest for some days for early recovery. Clinical investigations including IgM, IgG, and PCR were performed revealing that Dr Shakil is suffering from severe attack of dengue as his platelet counts have dropped to red level, touching 60,000 mark only.
He was first examined by the Professor of Medicine and Principal Jinnah Hospital/Allama Iqbal Medical College Dr Javed Akram who suspected him as dengue fever patient for showing some related symptoms and advised him immediate treatment at the hospital.
According to Dr Shakil, he is living in GOR-III where a tubewell is being misused by the local residents. He has submitted several complaints to the PHA authorities to depute officials to stop the abuse as due to water leakage, the local ground has turned into ponds of water breading mosquitoes in large number. Dr Shakil said he usually offer prayer in the ground and resultantly suffered dengue fever due to mosquitoes bite some days back.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=179556

52 confirmed cases belie official claims

Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Muhammad Qasim

Islamabad

As many as 52 confirmed cases of dengue fever, reported in the country this year, belie tall claims of district and provincial administrations regarding achieving a complete control over the spread of the disease.

The National Institute of Health, Islamabad, had tested a 50-year-old female, Mrs Yaqub, positive for the infection on May 18. She remained admitted in Ward-5 of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad. The patient was a resident of Islamabad that proved the existence of ?Aedes Aegypti? ? the female mosquito that causes dengue fever ? in the federal capital.

The NIH received another blood sample of a suspected case from the PIMS on Monday for confirmation. Experts believe that with the detection of even a single confirmed case last week in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the threat of an outbreak of Dengue and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DF-DHF) could not be ruled out. According to them, the disease has a tendency to occur in epidemics and outbreaks, particularly in urban areas.

To date, the NIH has received samples of 25 suspected cases of dengue fever from Islamabad, of which five were tested positive. In Rawalpindi, 19 suspected cases of the infection were reported this year, however, none of them was tested positive.

The NIH had recently tested 20 cases of the infection positive from Lahore while one from Khanewal. The NIH has so far received 39 blood samples of suspected cases from Sindh, of which 25 had been confirmed for the infection ? all from Karachi. One positive case of the infection had been reported from Peshawar.

NIH Epidemiology Investigation Cell In-charge Dr. Jalil Kamran told ?The News? that in 2009 the National Institute of Health received a total of 105 blood samples of suspected cases of which 52 had been confirmed positive for dengue fever. ?The infection claimed two lives, one from Lahore and one from Karachi,? he said and added that no patient with hemorrhagic manifestations had so far been reported.

To a query, he said that confirmation of existence of ?Aedes Aegypti? in three provinces of the country hints towards a possible outbreak of the infection in near future, as the monsoon season in Pakistan is ideal for its spread. ?All preventive measures should be taken to avert a possible outbreak of the disease.?

District health departments in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar had repeatedly claimed that they had performed heavy sprinkling of larvicide and insecticidal residual spray for elimination of ?Aedes Aegypti? and the vector that causes dengue fever had been eliminated.

Health experts had repeatedly expressed that the spike of the infection this time might be more deadly as a patient?s second exposure to dengue virus might cause Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever that was more fatal than dengue fever. Seven months back, the allied hospitals in Rawalpindi registered nearly 50 confirmed cases of dengue fever of which five died.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=191914

Threat of Dengue Fever on the rise
District health department on red alert, fogging in progress

Friday, August 07, 2009
Muhammad Qasim

Rawalpindi

District health department claims to have been on red alert on the subject of elimination of mosquito, the vector causing Dengue Fever and Malaria.

With the onset of monsoon in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, health experts have started fearing a rising threat of an outbreak of Dengue and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DF/DHF), as the infection has a tendency to occur in epidemics and outbreaks and spread like wild fire particularly in urban areas.

The setting of present monsoon season in Pakistan is ideal for spread of almost all kinds of mosquitoes including ?Aedes Aegypti?, the vector causing dengue fever. ?This year, we have put great emphasis on protection from gastroenteritis and dengue fever and for the purpose we have been taking all necessary measures well in time,? said District Health Officer Dr. Khalid Randhawa while talking to ?The News? Thursday.

He added that fogging of diesel mixed with permathrin was started on July 26 in district Rawalpindi to eliminate mosquito particularly ?Aedes Aegypti?. Terming efforts of his office successful, he said so far not a single case of Dengue Fever has been reported anywhere throughout Rawalpindi district. ?We have already completed fogging in the premises of allied hospitals, employees? colony of Rawalpindi Medical College and other high-risk areas,? he said.

Last year, 12 cases of Dengue Fever having origin in Rawalpindi district were reported of which one expired while district health department and allied hospitals received more than 50 cases of the infection belonging to different districts. ?The infection had claimed five lives last year,? said Dr. Randhawa and added the health department is working on making Rawalpindi ?Aedes Aegypti? free district this year. He said that currently his office is busy fogging with the help of four fogging machines in localities along Chakri Road in Rawalpindi. ?We have planned fogging in all seven tehsils of Rawalpindi district including Taxila, Gujar Khan, Kallar Syedan, Kahuta, Kotli Satyan, Murree and Rawalpindi.?

He said that his office has been repeatedly appealing to public to open not only main entrance of their houses but also doors of rooms and toilets during fogging in their respective areas of residence to help eliminate ?Aedes Aegypti?, if it is existing inside their homes. The district health department has planned to continue fogging with the help of fogging machines throughout district till November.

Dr. Randhawa said that to achieve 100 per cent results on elimination of ?Aedes Aegypti?, his office needs active community involvement and public response during fogging.

Serious viral infections ? Dengue fever and Dengue Hemorrhagic fever ? are caused by the bite of female mosquito namely ?Aedes Aegypti?. Dengue shows itself in shape of high fever, severe headaches, extreme joint and muscle pain ? also called break-bone fever, nausea, vomiting and rash. A few victims develop DHF ? bleeding from nose, gums and under the skin causing purplish bruises. The DHF is fatal in five per cent cases. Then there is Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS) that can lead to circulatory failure. About 10% of such cases can be fatal. Health experts advise that in case of high fever with bleeding symptoms, patient should immediately rush to the hospital.

To a query, Dr Randhawa said that public health awareness on the subject can certainly play a significant role in prevention of Dengue fever. ?We have already decided to organise awareness activities regarding protection from dengue fever however, as yet we have performed none,? he added.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=194669

Two dengue fever suspects die
Monday, August 24, 2009
By Muhammad Qasim
Rawalpindi

All the 15 child suspects of dengue fever, who were taken to Holy Family Hospital Saturday evening after the death of two other kids of the same locality, were out of danger on Sunday.

District Health Department has shifted the 15 children from a village nearly 40 kilometres from here after suspecting them as dengue fever cases. The suspects belong to village Larr in Dhoke Jhando located in union council Thatta Khalil of Taxila. ?It is cluster of eight to ten families from where we have taken the suspects,? said District Health Officer Dr. Khalid Randhawa while talking to ?The News?. He said that on Friday, two children have died in the cluster settled in Larr, ?We suspect them as complicated cases of dengue fever,? he said.

The deaths of two children one during Friday night and the other early Saturday morning were reported to Executive District Officer (Health) who constituted a team under supervision of the DHO to visit and investigate causes of deaths. Haider Ali, 10 and Irfan, 13, have died of the infection being suspected as dengue.

The 12-member team headed by Dr. Randhawa including District Surveillance Officer, medical superintendent and child specialist of Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Taxila along with paramedical staff visited the area Saturday and suspected dengue fever among residents.

?We have taken samples of drinking water from a nearby well of the families? settlement to check other options, however, we have strong doubts that the residents have been infected with dengue fever,? said Dr. Randhawa.

He told ?The News? that his team took as many as 15 suspects from the area and admitted them at the HFH on Saturday evening. ?We have asked the HFH administration to keep all 15 cases in isolation at least till final investigation. We have also informed National Institute of Health, Islamabad, of the situation,? said Dr. Randhawa.

He said the area has also been sprayed and fumigation of the houses there has been done. Duty Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr. Misbah Hassan at the HFH when contacted by ?The News? Sunday afternoon said all the 15 children were out of danger. ?We have sent their blood samples to NIH yesterday for confirmation of dengue virus, however, received no results as yet,? he said.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=195030

Outbreak of dengue fever feared
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
By Muhammad Qasim
Rawalpindi

Out of 18 patients of a locality admitted to Holy Family Hospital Saturday evening, five were declared positive for dengue fever by the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad.

The confirmation of five cases as positive, the first in this season in this region of the country, has convinced a number of health experts in town to fear an outbreak of the infection. ?The confirmation of five cases proved the existence of ?Aedes Aegypti?, the female mosquito that causes dengue fever in town. The deaths of two children on Friday night and Saturday morning due to fever in the area from where 18 patients have been taken might be attributed to dengue fever or Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever,? is their stance.

A special team of District Health Department headed by District Health Officer Dr. Khalid Randhawa has shifted some 16 children and two adults to the HFH after suspecting them cases of dengue fever on Saturday evening from a village not more than 25 kilometres from here. The team was constituted after the Executive District Officer (Health) received reports of deaths of two children one during Friday night and the other early Saturday morning namely Haider Ali, 10, and Irfan, 13.

The deceased and as well as all the suspects admitted at HFH have been living in a cluster of nearly a dozen families settled near to village Larr in Dhoke Jhando located in union council Thatta Khalil of Taxila.

All the five cases confirmed so far for the infection range between three and eight years of age. The HFH has sent blood samples of a total of 18 suspected patients of dengue fever to NIH for dengue serology of which five have been confirmed positive, nine negative while results of four cases have not been finalised as yet.

The cases admitted at the HFH who have been confirmed positive by the NIH include 8-year old Asad, 4-year old Khawar, 3-year old Sumaira, 4-year old Amina and 6-year old Surrayya. The nine cases declared negative include Murtaza, 35, Shamim, 16, Noman, 12, Usman, 8, Alina, 3, Nadeem, 12, Waheed, 10, Ghulam Farid, 10, and Inza, 6.

?The results in cases of four suspects namely Maria, 3, Saeed, 12, Anila, 7, and Uzair, 4, have not been confirmed as yet instead we have sent their blood samples to the NIH again,? said focal person for the cases at the HFH Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr. Pervez Malik while talking to ?The News? Tuesday.

He said that most of the suspected and confirmed cases have blood relations as a confirmed case namely Asad and Waheed and Uzair are brothers and sons of Murtaza.

Experts do believe that with the detection of five confirmed cases in the outskirts of twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, a rising threat of an outbreak of Dengue and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DF/DHF) seems to be lurking as the disease has a tendency to occur in epidemics and outbreaks and spread like wild fire.

Head of Pathology Department at Rawalpindi Medical College Professor Dr. Abbas Hayat has repeatedly expressed to ?The News? that the spikes of dengue fever, if occurs repeatedly, might be more deadly and might result in severe complications including hemorrhagic manifestations. Two months back, he said that the situation might be alarming after the monsoon as the climate after monsoon is considered as the most suitable for breeding of mosquito Aedes Aegypti that causes DF and DHF. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a cause of disease and death primarily among children in tropical Asia.

Studies have revealed that people at a higher risk for dengue transmission are children, travellers and tourists, whereas adults residing in endemic areas are also susceptible to contracting the disease.

District Health Department has already claimed that it has performed fogging and sprinkled insecticidal spray in and around Larr, however, experts believe that a continuous surveillance is need of the time to avert a possible outbreak of Dengue fever.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=196270

Dengue fever hits Pindi
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
By Muhammad Qasim
Rawalpindi

National Institute of Health, Islamabad, Tuesday, declared the first suspected case of dengue fever positive belonging to the city area.

The 20-year-old Mubashir, a resident of Khayaban-e-Sir Syed, who had been admitted to Holy Family Hospital after being suspected as a case of dengue fever Saturday noon has been confirmed positive by the NIH for the infection on Tuesday.

The confirmation of Mubashir as a positive case of dengue fever confirmed the existence of ?Aedes Aegypti?, the female mosquito causing dengue fever in the city area. Mubashir is the first case belonging to Rawalpindi city termed positive for the infection at least within past two months.

?The News? has learnt that Mubashir was taken to the HFH with nasal bleeding and low platelets count. After being suspected as a patient of dengue fever, he was admitted to the isolation ward where as many as seven confirmed cases of the fever, all from a locality in Taxila, have already been undergoing treatment for nearly a week.

On Saturday, however, the blood sample of Mubashir could not be sent to the NIH while on Sunday, bleeding from his nose stopped. On Monday, his blood sample was sent to the NIH for dengue serology and the NIH tested him positive.

?We have notified District Health Officer of the confirmation of case belonging to city area,? said Medical Superintendent at HFH Dr Syed Abid Husain Shah when contacted by ?The News?. He added the patient is still undergoing treatment at the hospital in isolation.

It is important that within past 10 days, a total of 10 patients have been tested positive for dengue fever, all belonging to Rawalpindi district; however nine already declared positive by the NIH were from a locality near to village Larr in Dhoke Jhando located in union council Thatta Khalil of Taxila. Last Saturday, a total of 18 suspected patients, 16 children and two adults, were taken to the HFH from village Larr, not more than 25 kilometres from here. Of the 18, nine children were confirmed positive for dengue fever while nine negative by the NIH.

Many health experts have already expressed strong doubts that dengue fever might hit a number of localities in Rawalpindi district and as well city area mainly because of existence of countless mosquitoes in and around almost every locality.

?Confirmation of a case belonging to city area for dengue fever has once again made the situation alarming,? said Dr Tariq Sohail adding the public at both the individual and community levels needs to follow proper preventive measures to deal with an expected yet more fatal spike of the disease.

Health experts have already been expressing the feared spike of dengue fever more severe explaining that the exposure of a confirmed patient of dengue fever for the second time to dengue virus might cause severe hemorrhagic manifestation.

It is pertinent to mention here that from January to May 2009, the NIH has confirmed a total of 52 cases of the infection from all across the country while the disease has already claimed more than four lives.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\09\05\story_5-9-2009_pg13_1

Saturday, September 05, 2009
Hospitals lack equipment to treat dengue

* No hospital has blood separation machines required for plasma infusions
*Medical superintendents claim they are ready to deal with fever if outbreak occurs

By Nauman Tasleem

LAHORE: City hospitals are not prepared for a possible dengue fever outbreak as they lack the equipment needed to properly treat dengue patients, sources at the hospitals told Daily Times on Friday.

Dengue fever usually spreads during the month of September, however, the recent rains have caused pools of stagnant water to accumulate, increasing the chances of dengue mosquitoes. Last year, more than a 100 people tested positive for dengue in the city, while there were reports of more than 400 unconfirmed patients.

No machines: Despite the threat, the hospitals? administrations are not prepared for a possible outbreak. None of the hospitals have isolation rooms/wards, nor do they have blood separation machines required to separate plasma from platelets. A dengue patient requires regular platelet infusions and without the necessary equipment, the plasma cannot be separated from it.

The vast majority of the hospitals also lack kits to test patients for dengue, as it can be easily confused with malaria if ELISA/IGG/IGM kits are not used to confirm its presence. However, sources at hospitals said none of the patients exhibiting symptoms of malaria ? many of which resemble dengue symptoms ? had been tested for dengue. ?It is not possible for doctors to diagnose dengue without the proper tests,? said a Jinnah Hospital doctor. He said dengue patients needed to be isolated from other patients and a mosquito net was used to ensure that another mosquito could not bite the patient and become a carrier of the disease.

All secure: However, despite concerns from staff, the medical superintendents of several hospitals claim they are ready to deal with dengue. Jinnah Hospital MS Muhammad Hassan said doctors had been informed to remain vigilant for dengue fever. When asked if the hospital had allocated any ward for the purpose, he said there was no need to do so unless a person tested positive for dengue. However, he admitted that no patient showing symptoms of malaria had been checked for dengue.

Services Hospital MS Dr Muhammad Javed said the hospital would set up isolation rooms if there were a dengue outbreak. ?It is too early to allocate rooms for the purpose without a clear outbreak,? he added. Similarly, Ganga Ram Hospital MS Dr Ijaz Ahmed said that while there were three wards with five beds each for dengue patients, none of them were currently operational. Mayo Hospital MS Dr Zahid Pervaiz said the hospital has made arrangements for a separate ward for dengue patients, adding mosquito nets would be purchased to make it safer.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=86517

Dengue cases appear in Karachi
Updated at: 2230 PST, Sunday, September 06, 2009
KARACHI: Over 500 suspected patients of dengue virus have reported in various hospitals of Karachi while the Health Department has made the dengue fully functional as yet.

According to sources the exact number of dengue cases cannot be determined, as the dengue cell is still non-functional.

The health experts have said that cases of dengue affected patients have started appearing in Karachi. Majority of these patients are being treated in private clinics and hospitals and a very small number is coming to government hospitals.

The number of dengue patients is feared to rise following the recent heavy rains.

The health experts have advised the people not to let water stand anywhere in their houses and streets.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://dailymailnews.com/0909/10/Brief/Brief1.php

84 cases of dengue fever reported
KARACHI?Over 84 suspected patients of dengue virus were reportedly admitted to various hospitals in the city on Wednesday, while the Health Department has yet to launch efforts to cope with the situation. While talking to a private TV Channel, Provincial Health Minister Dr Saghir has confirmed the number of dengue cases in the city. However, the dengue cell functional in the city reported different figures, he added. Health department is being more activated to stop the virus further; he said adding that Pakistan?s Dengue Fever Surveillance Committee, during the 24 hours around 84 dengue patients admitted in various hospitals.?Online

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=198205

?Dengue fever poses permanent
health care burden in Pakistan?

Sunday, September 13, 2009
Karachi

Dengue fever is posing a permanent health care burden in Pakistan due to the failure of public health providers, and the situation is bound to remain adverse unless the government redresses the failures of its health providers, said former Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) General Secretary Dr Qaiser Sajjad.

Sajjad said that at present, only a few government hospitals are providing diagnostic and treatment facilities for dengue patients, but there should be at least one such government facility in every town. He said that free testing facilities and mega units of blood should also be provided in all 18 towns of the city.

He said that the waterborne vector disease, malaria, has been eliminated from various countries due to the concerted efforts of their health departments. However, he added, not only does malaria continue to exist in the country, but another fatal disease, dengue, has now become a permanent feature of our health care burden.

He said that people should not panic due to the recent rise in dengue cases in Karachi, as cases of malarial, typhoid, and viral fevers are also on rise in Karachi. He said that the city is also braving viral rhinopharyngitis, which exhibits symptoms similar to that of dengue. He said that citizens should avoid self-medication, and visit qualified medical practitioners whenever they experience symptoms of fever.

The former PMA general secretary said that in order to diagnose the disease, a simple blood test called Complete Blood Count (CBC) is required for doctors to assess the number of platelets in the patient. He said that if that number dropped below normal limits, it may be dengue and the patient should be referred to specialist for a dengue-specific blood test. He said that besides CBC, fever patients should get pathological tests for malaria and typhoid. He said that platelets could fall if a patient is administered anti-malarial and anti-biotic drugs, and strongly advised all patients to not take any drugs, unless prescribed by a qualified doctor.

Sajjad said that the government, with help of the media, should launch an aggressive campaign to raise public awareness about dengue. However, he said, the government alone cannot fight dengue, and the role of the citizens public is also very crucial. He said that the government could ensure cleaning of roads and streets, but only the citizens could keep their homes and communities clean and tidy.

?Though a spray drive has been carried out in the city, however, the proportions and specifications of the insecticide should also be considered,? he said, adding that the drive should be focussed on areas where most cases of dengue are being reported. ?In order to eliminate dengue, mosquito breeding grounds have to be eliminated,? he emphasised.

Regretting that many people leave puddles after watering their lawns, washing their cars, or even the floors and stairs of their houses, he explained that Aedis Aegypti, the dengue carrying mosquito, can survive in small quantities of water, such as bottled plants and pots of indoor plants. He advised citizens to ensure that overhead and underground water tanks should also be properly covered to negate the possibility of mosquitoes breeding in them.

?Without improving sanitary conditions in the city the target to make Karachi a dengue-free city could never be achieved,? he said, adding that citizens should avoid throwing garbage and litter in streets and open spaces.

Sajjad also suggested that lectures on preventive measures against dengue should be arranged in all educational institutes, while a viral laboratory should be established in Karachi to fight viral infections like dengue.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=198565

No dengue epidemic in Lahore: health dept
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
By Our Correspondent

LAHORE

PUNJAB Health Department has claimed that there was no epidemic of dengue fever in the province and only 34 cases have been reported in nine months from January to September 2009 from all over the province and all the patients have been successfully treated.

A handout here on Monday said that out of 34 cases, six had been reported in Rawalpindi, one each in Gujrat, Khanewal, Sahiwal and Sheikhupura while 24 patients belonged to Lahore. In Lahore, three dengue fever patients were registered in Family Hospital Mozang, three in Mayo Hospital, one in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, three in Services Hospital, one in Lahore General Hospital, seven in Ghurki Hospital, one in Suriya Azim Hospital, Two in Rashid Hospital, one in Alhayee Clinic Shah Jamal, one in Government Munshi Hospital and one patient was reported in a private clinic.

It said that appropriate arrangements have been made for diagnosis and treatment of dengue patients in all hospitals of Lahore. The administrations of all the hospitals have been alerted and whenever required the isolation wards would be set up immediately in the hospitals. So far, the situation is normal and people should not worry about it and take precautionary measures to avoid mosquitoes, it said.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-n...hi/15-Sep-2009/Denguerelated--death-confirmed

Dengue-related death confirmed
By: Syed Jafar Askari | Published: September 15, 2009

KARACHI - Dengue Fever Monitoring Cell of Sindh Health Department on Monday confirmed the death of a patient on September 6, 2009 at a City hospital due to Dengue Fever (DF) or Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF).
Details of the deceased, however, are not available even at the dengue cell, while the cell has declared the admittance of 11 new patients, suspected with dengue fever or dengue hemorrhagic fever at different hospitals of the City during the last 24 hours with the symptoms of bleeding, high grade fever and vomiting.
According to the monitoring cell, 3 patients admitted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, 8 to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and 4 to Karachi Adventist Hospital. However, 5 patients have been sent back to their home after their required medical treatment. As per statistics prepared by the dengue cell, around 174 patients suspected with the disease have been reported during the ongoing year out of which 98 cases were confirmed with the fever.
As per WHO, ?Dengue is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with anyone of the four dengue viruses. It occurs in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world. Symptoms appear 3 - 14 days after the infective bite. Dengue fever is a febrile illness that affects infants, young children and adults.
Symptoms range from a mild fever to incapacitating high fever with severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and rash. There are no specific antiviral medicines for dengue. It is important to maintain hydration. Use of acetylsalicylic acid (e.g. aspirin) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. Ibuprofen) is not recommended.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect...e-cell-records-14-more-cases-in-karachi-ha-06

Dengue cell records 14 more cases in Karachi
By Our Staff Reporter
Thursday, 17 Sep, 2009

KARACHI: The provincial dengue surveillance cell has reported that 14 new patients, who are suspected to have dengue fever, have been admitted to two government and one private sector hospitals in the city.

With the latest addition, the number of dengue patients admitted to various hospitals in the city has reached 212 this year, says a surveillance report issued on Wednesday.

According to the cell?s data, 119 of the total 212 dengue patients admitted to 12 government and private hospitals of Karachi during the year have been tested positive.

The number of dengue-related deaths reported this year is three. Two of them, who were admitted to the Civil Hospital Karachi and the Liaquat National Hospital, died on Sept 14 and Sept 6, respectively.

The patient treated at the CHK was in his 20s and was reportedly a drug addict. Though he was tested negative for dengue fever, he showed all symptoms of dengue fever. The other patient, a teenager, was admitted to the LNH on Aug 31 and was tested positive for dengue fever, said the official in charge of the dengue cell of the health department.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=198703

Dengue fever may move to twin cities from endemic areas
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
By Our correspondent
Rawalpindi

Dengue infection (fever) and the mosquitoes ? the vector ? causing it may move to twin cities from endemic areas particularly from areas in interior Sindh and Karachi due to extensive travelling before and after Eidul Fitr.

A number of health experts after confirmation of prevalence of the dengue fever virus in parts of Sindh province fear a spike of the infection across Pakistan particularly on a time when a large chunk of people are coming from and going to the endemic areas to spend Eid holidays with their relatives.

All the concerned government authorities not only the health departments but also Pakistan Railways and airport authorities should strengthen surveillance, which is totally non-existent. It is necessary at the time when people would be busy in extensive travelling before and after Eid days through trains, buses and even aeroplanes and may cause spread of the infection in ignorance, said Director Emergency at Benazir Bhutto Hospital Dr Muhammad Mujeeb Khan while talking to ?The News? on Tuesday.

Another health expert said that a large number of people are coming from the endemic areas of Sindh province and even Punjab province through different means of transportation and so are the mosquito ?Aedes Aegypti? that causes dengue fever. Also the BBH has recently received as many as 10 confirmed cases of the infection that proves existence of Aedes Aegypti in town that may move to other parts of the country because of extensive travelling and heavy exchange of goods before Eid, said the expert.

Another expert, Dr Sohail Tariq, believes that the situation is almost becoming the same as it was during 2006. During October 2006, before Eidul Fitr, scores of passengers coming from Karachi and other parts of Sindh were suspected as patients of dengue fever and later confirmed positive by the National Institute of Health, Islamabad. ?The Eid holidays and influx of a large number of suspected patients might add up to a serious situation requiring surveillance at a greater level,? he said.

Outbreak of the dengue fever in Pakistan has triggered a serious alarm during the 2006 spike of the infection that started in June 2006 within areas of Sindh and later spread up to Punjab and to the federal capital. During the said spike that lasted for nearly four months, the NIH had confirmed well above 3,000 patients positive for dengue fever that had claimed more than 35 lives, the figure that was reported. No data was available regarding unreported deaths due to the fever in far-flung areas of the country.

Health experts say that the dengue fever epidemic, if occurs this time, might be more fatal than that of the previous spikes. It is suggested that Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever is more likely in a patient who has had previously an attack of dengue fever within the last calendar year, and that the occurrence of DHF relates to this previous ?sensitisation?.

District Health Officer Dr Khalid Randhawa, when contacted, admitted that the risk of an epidemic of dengue fever has heightened because of extensive travelling and heavy exchange of goods and particularly because the existence of vector causing the infection has already been proved in a number of parts of the country.

He claimed that his office has already planned necessary measures in this regard and coordination with all concerned departments including Pakistan Railways, transporters, goods forwarding agencies and airport and cargo authorities is in progress. ?We have planned to spray insecticide inside bogies of the trains, buses, cargo terminals, railway station, bus stops and goods forwarding agencies at least once before the Eid,? he said.

?The News? however learnt through reliable sources that the Punjab government has not provided as yet any budget to the District Health Department for prevention and control of dengue fever. Principally, it was agreed that Rs3.5 million would be provided to Rawalpindi District Health Department for the purpose during the fiscal year 2009-10.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\09\20\story_20-9-2009_pg13_6

Sunday, September 20, 2009
Girl tests positive for dengue at Mayo Hospital

Aaj Kal Report

LAHORE: The first dengue patient, a seven-year-old girl, has been tested positive at Mayo Hospital on Saturday.

Imtiaz Ahmed, a resident of Jaranwala, brought his daughter Arooj to the hospital in serious condition and she was admitted to medical ward-II. Her blood samples were sent for tests and laboratory reports confirmed she was suffering from dengue fever. The reports revealed she had acute shortage of platelets in her blood after which she was immediately shifted to a separate ward where all medical facilities were being provided to her.

According to Ahmed, local doctors checked Arooj, but her health was deteriorating day by day and he brought her to Mayo Hospital where she was being treateded. According to senior hospital doctors, there was a dire need to improve cleanliness, especially in hospitals, to ward off an endemic.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.regionaltimes.com/25sep2009/metrokarachinews/suspect.htm

Suspected dengue patient dies in Karachi


Karachi: Another suspected dengue patient died in a private hospital here after which death toll of dengue virus victims rose to ?four? in Karachi this year. According to the details, 20-year-old Arsalan, resident of Keamari No. 4 was under treatment at the Ziauddin Hospital Karachi. He had been rushed to the hospital with symptoms of high-grade fever, nasal and oral bleeding a few days before Eid and he died on Thursday.
Hospital sources have confirmed that Arsalan had symptoms of dengue fever. According to the Health department sources, some 260 patients with high-grade fever were admitted to the different hospitals of the city and out of them 151 were confirmed as dengue patients. Meanwhile, despite the directives of the Sindh health Minister, dengue cells are not functional in many government hospitals.
When Focal Person of the Dengue Cell Dr Shakeel Malik was contacted through phone, he refused to give any comment.?Agency

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect.../04-dengue-fever-more-hype-than-numbers-qs-03

Dengue fever: more hype than numbers?
Friday, 25 Sep, 2009

KARACHI: Medical experts are divided over the way the media should cover dengue fever. Some say reporting is alarmist and does nothing to help prevent further cases of what is not a particularly fatal illness, while others caution against complacency.

?The hype created around dengue by the media is far more troublesome than the actual number of patients we get with this illness,? said Tasneem Ahsan, professor of medicine at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, according to a report by the IRIN, the UN information unit.

?It?s not as fatal as it is made out to be. There is so much fear surrounding this illness that the moment you tell a patient that he may have dengue, it?s like a death sentence,? Dr Ahsan said, blaming the media for creating a ?jaw-dropping? reaction from patients.

He said that ?hue and cry? would be better directed towards ?eliminating the breeding sites? of mosquitoes responsible for the transmission of dengue, as there is no vaccine to fight the illness. He added that Falci Parum Malaria, the most dangerous form of malaria, was far more prevalent than dengue, but the media was failing to write about it.

Qutbuddin Kakar of the World Health Organisation agreed that fatalities from cerebral malaria were as high as 20 per cent, while those from dengue were as low as between one and three per cent.

Doctors say dengue is a flu-like illness found in sub-tropical areas of the world. Human transmission takes place when the aedes mosquito feeds on an infected person?s blood and bites a healthy person. In the more severe cases people can die of haemorrhagic fever.

?Most cases are of classical dengue and the symptoms and signs are mild,? said Mr Kakar, who has also been providing technical assistance to the vector-borne diseases unit of the health ministry for the past seven years. However, he said, ?There is no need for panic, but a need for being informed.?

In 2006, Pakistan suffered its worst outbreak of dengue, resulting in 52 deaths. In 2007, 22 people died of the illness and in 2008 just five. Between October 2006 and January 2008, there were 3,242 laboratory-confirmed cases of dengue. So far in 2009, two people have died of dengue, both in January.

Seemi Jamali, deputy executive director of the JPMC, said they had recorded 23 suspected cases of dengue from early August until Sept 17.

In Sindh, there have been 224 suspected cases reported of which 135 were confirmed since January 2009, said Shakeel Malik, the focal person for dengue in Sindh Health Department. ?This data has been collected from 27 hospitals [both public and private], of which 26 are in Karachi.?

Samreena Hashmi, secretary-general of the Pakistan Medical Association?s Karachi chapter, said that the media was right to take dengue very seriously. ?There is every reason to be concerned as there has been a rise in dengue cases in the last few weeks,? she said.

Ms Hashmi urged the government to increase the number of blood banks. ?We need cell separators [machines that collect blood plasma only or plasma and platelets from a donor] on an emergency basis, and just providing four to Karachi?s burgeoning population of 17 million is not going to be enough. A person suspected of infection needs to get a blood test done every 48 hours to find out the platelet count, because if it drops the person will die,? she said.

With large numbers of people visiting the dengue-endemic, congested cities of Karachi and Lahore for Eid celebrations, experts fear a spike in infections and have urged the government to strengthen its surveillance and begin fumigation campaigns.

?They can spray insecticides and pour kerosene over garbage so that mosquitoes do not breed there,? Ms Hashmi said.

Mr Kakar said that dengue mosquitoes were most active during the daytime and people could not be expected to remain inside protective nets all the time. He said a person bitten with one dengue strain becomes immune to it, but if bitten by another strain, the chances of him contracting a fatal infection increases. ?Our concern is life-long protection for which we need to focus on raising awareness among households,? he said, adding that schools, colleges and local authorities should also be targeted by media campaigns.

He said, ?It is important to tell people to cover their water containers, storage tanks, flower vases, cans, bottles and plastic bags dumped outside. Due to recent rains, water may have collected in them, making them perfect breeding sites.? ? PPI

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-n...achi/26-Sep-2009/Dengue-fever-hits-City-again

Dengue fever hits City again
Published: September 26, 2009


KARACHI - Dengue fever has struck again in the metropolis as hundreds of cases are not only reported at hospitals but also in clinics, while the confirmation of four deaths due to dengue fever during the last two months have exposed the tall claims of Sindh Health Department about containing the disease.
Some government hospitals of the City are facing scarcity of platelets, extensively being used in the treatment of the dengue patients, despite the fact that Sindh Minister for Health Dr Sagheer Ahmed has claimed that 3 cells? separators, ELISA diagnostic kits and mega unit bags worth Rs20 million were being provided to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Sindh Government Qatar Hospital and Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College Hospital Sukkur, The Nation has learnt.
Sources in the hospitals said that Dengue Fever Monitoring Cell, Sindh Health Department, was not issuing correct figures of patients affected with dengue fever or Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever to media.
They said, ?As per statistics prepared by the dengue cell one week ago, around 174 patients suspected with the disease have been reported during the ongoing year out of which 98 cases were confirmed with the fever.
But the fact is that more than 500 patients with the symptoms of the diseases have been reported in the ongoing year, while out of which around 160 patients found confirmed with diseases. On the other hand, dozens of cases are not reported owing to some reasons.?
It is worth mentioning that the provincial health minister had set up a dengue cell on August 26, 2009, but during the last 10 days the cell has failed to provide any information to media regarding the current status of the dengue outbreak in the megalopolis.
It is also to be noted here that the health minister has directed all the Executive District Officers (Health) and Medical Superintendents of public sector hospitals to start provision of diagnostic and treatment of dengue patients, free of cost at every major hospital of Sindh.
He also claimed that health department was more prepared to combat any dengue outbreak as compared to last year. But the situation is entirely different, as the department has failed even to properly activate dengue cell.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-n...09/Dengue-fever-claims-seven-lives-in-Haripur

Dengue fever claims seven lives in Haripur

Dozens of new cases of dengue fever have been reported in various parts of Haripur as seven persons have died of the outbreak in the region. According to reports during last week seven patients of dengue fever have been died in Khanpur, Pind Gujran, Khoi Nara, Raniwah and other areas of Haripur, while dozens new patients have been admitted in hospitals. PML-N MNA from the area Sardar Mohammed Mushtaque has urged the health department to sent the teams of doctors to the area to meet the situation.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases 2009

Source: http://www.regionaltimes.com/09oct2009/metrokarachinews/17.htm

17 more suspected dengue patients hospitalized


KARACHI: Sindh Health Department has said 17 more suspected dengue patients were admitted to different hospitals of Karachi during last 24 hours.
According to a report on Thursday, 476 cases of suspected dengue virus with strong fever symptom were registered this year, and out of them 304 were confirmed, whereas four patients died.
The Total number of admitted patients was 46. They were admitted to the different hospitals of the city. Thirteen patients were admitted in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, six in Civil Hospital Karachi, eight in Aga Khan Hospital, four in Ziauddin Hospital, one in Seven Day hospital, six in JPMC, six in Liaquat National Hospital, and two in OMI hospital, Meanwhile, 12 patients were discharged from different hospitals.?RT