Pakistan: Dengue Cases

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Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-n...r-2009/Another-dengue-patient-tested-positive

Another dengue patient tested positive
By: Asif Chaudhry | Published: March 29, 2009

LAHORE - Another 50-year-old dengue patient has been tested positive during the clinical investigations here at the Services Hospital after a camp jail prisoner Amin Lattif, 53, who was also diagnosed dengue fever patient at the same hospital.
Both the patients have been isolated in the Medical Unit-II of the Services Hospital under intensive care.
The condition of one of them identified as Shafiq Ahmad was stated to be critical. Shafiq, resident of Umer Park, Cantt was brought in the hospital on March 19 by his relatives.
He is patient of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. He was immediately admitted in the hospital after doctors suspected him as dengue fever patient through symptoms. His platelet counts have been dropped to red level reaching 50,000 only.
The test detected both dengue-specific IgM and IgG with positive results. The blood samples of the patient were analysed in the hospital laboratory.
Doctors said that Shafiq?s condition was critical due to Hepatocellular Carcinoma (liver cancer) which is extremely lethal and some other diseases including sugar, vomiting and high temperature. 1
A total of six patients have been confirmed as dengue patients from January to the end of March 2009 so far.
Additional Medical Superintendent (AMS) Services Hospital and focal person for dengue fever Dr Anwar Saeed Mirza confirmed that six persons have been diagnosed as dengue fever patients so far. Samples of around 26 patients were anaylised in the hospital laboratory, he said and added that out of these six were diagnosed with dengue virus.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases

Source: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=83683

PAKISTAN: Dengue danger returns to Punjab

LAHORE, 29 March 2009 (IRIN) - With warmer weather returning to Punjab, Pakistan?s most populous province, the vector-borne dengue fever virus has also returned, say officials. Six patients have been diagnosed with dengue in 2009 so far, according to Anwar Saeed Mirza, an additional medical superintendent at Services Hospital in Lahore, the Punjab capital.

The most recent case was on 27 March, when Shafiq Ahmed was diagnosed with dengue at Services Hospital. His condition is said to be critical.

Last year, 1,240 cases of dengue were reported in the province. There had also been six deaths.

Dengue fever is spread by the bite of the striped Aedes Aegypti mosquito. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), dengue 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 an incapacitating high fever with severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and a rash.

There are no specific antiviral medicines for dengue and the use of acetylsalicylic acid (such as aspirin) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen) is not recommended. The most important advice is to drink lots of water.

Occasionally, people suffering from dengue bleed from the nose, gums or skin, which often indicates dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF), which is potentially lethal and affects children mostly.

Dengue cases

Experts have been urging action to prevent a dengue epidemic in 2009. In November last year, Javed Akram, the principle of Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC), told the media there was an urgent need to effectively tackle the disease. He had said at the time that if ?effective prevention of the disease is not carried out, the country could be suffering from an epidemic next year?.

With the first cases of the viral disease already coming in, doctors fear the situation could worsen rapidly.

?We need to remind people of the need for safety measures, like ensuring there is no standing water in their homes. The government must also urgently begin a spraying campaign at breeding places,? Faiza Riaz, a family physician, said.

Punjab health secretary Anwar Ahmed Khan has promised the government will undertake measures to tackle dengue and said the spraying of residential areas had been ordered.

According to WHO, the incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades. Some 2.5 billion people ? two fifths of the world's population ? are now at risk from dengue. WHO currently estimates there may be 50 million dengue infections worldwide every year.

kh/at/ed

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases

Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-n...30-Mar-2009/Dengue-raises-its-ugly-head-again

Dengue raises its ugly head again
By: Yasir Habib Khan | Published: March 30, 2009

LAHORE - Dengue and malaria are back with all health hazards sending chills down on spine of general public, especially living in City slums as medics have started registering dengue patients while the authority concerned is yet to make a comprehensive plan to check the prompt spread of the diseases.
Sources in the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) disclosed that today one mosquito had been producing more than 30 thousand mosquitoes in a month and nobody in the government had sensed so far the magnitude of threat and the urgency to cleanse it out.
The long hours power outage that has plunge the City into complete darkness is providing an ideal condition for breeding of mosquitoes. Besides present spell of rain has also reinforced phenomenal increase in their population as lethal insects breed on stagnant and littering water accumulated after rain.
The biggest factory churning out mosquitoes is the 470 miles long drain that runs through the entire City. Most dangerous are open drains, called storm water drains.
Rusty sewerage pipes causing leakage of sewerage water are other places facilitating the growth of mosquitoes. Small ponds set up in different areas due to overflowing gutters are other attractive areas for the mosquito breeding.
The inadequate sanitation system and lack of garbage lifting is another cause of the outbreak of dengue virus in the City.
The sources revealed that although second phase of fumigation drive had commenced but it was so insufficient and was being carried out without taking board all department concerned and stakeholders to quell army of harmful mosquitoes.
The registration of more than six dengue fever cases in different hospitals has sounded the alarming bells about the opening of second episode of dengue invasion witnessed last year when the Health Department and the CDGL failed to control the menace despite launching massive insecticide spray.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=170016

Drive for prevention of dengue fever launched
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
By by Muhammad Qasim

Rawalpindi

The district health department Monday launched a one-month campaign for prevention of dengue fever in Rawalpindi district where under fogging in all seven tehsils of the district would be carried out to eliminate mosquitoes, the vector causing dengue fever.

The District Coordination Officer Jamal Mustafa Syed inaugurated the month-long campaign here in Fauji Colony where fogging with the help of three fogging machines and 15 pumps was performed Monday afternoon. Executive District Officer (Health) Dr Zafar Iqbal Gondal, Chief Medical Officer Rawalpindi City Dr Ansar Ishaq and Nazim UC Fauji Colony Muhammad Bashir were also present on the launching ceremony of the month-long campaign that would last till April 30.

?During the campaign, the district health department would perform outdoor fogging and indoor spray while awareness walks and seminars would also be arranged,? said EDO (Health) Dr Gondal while talking to ?The News? adding a total of eight fogging machines would be used in city area while one fogging machine would be provided to each tehsil.

He said a total of 70 pumps have been arranged for spraying insecticide during the campaign. ?In Rawal Town area, Dr Ansar Ishaq would supervise the activity while in Potohar Town, District Health Officer Dr Khalid Randhawa would be incharge of the fogging,? he said and added in each tehsil, the deputy district health officer would supervise the campaign.

He added that the tehsil municipal administration would assist the health department in the operation. ?Commissioner Rawalpindi Captain (r) Zahid Saeed has already directed the tehsil municipal officer to arrange fogging machines as per requirements,? he said adding a special team formed by the commissioner would monitor the campaign.

To a query, Dr Gondal said that they have planned to motivate community and other organisations including NGOs to participate in the campaign. ?In this connection, we have arranged a meeting of the representatives of Chamber of Commerce, Red Crescent, Rotary Club, Green Task Force, Anjuman Tajiran and sweet association with the DCO on Tuesday,? he said adding the health department would request the representatives to take active part in the campaign and donate equipment.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases

Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\03\31\story_31-3-2009_pg11_10

Monthlong drive kicked off to kill dengue virus

Staff Report

RAWALPINDI: District Coordination Officer (DCO) Jamal Mustafa Syed on Monday launched a monthlong fumigation campaign to disinfect dengue virus in all eight towns of Rawalpindi.

Talking to Daily Times, he said the district administration would spray anti-mosquito insecticides in all 46 union councils (UCs) and urban areas of Rawalpindi, as it had designed a comprehensive plan to clear the city of dengue virus and mosquitoes, for whom March and April were breeding months.

He said 20 teams, equipped with three fogging machines and 80 pumps, would visit each UC of the district for disinfection. He said the campaign was started from those areas, which were extremely vulnerable to the disease.

Dengue cases, education: He said the district reported 115 dengue fever cases in 2006, 14 in 2007, 11 in 2008 and but none during first quarter of the current year. He said another campaign would also be launched in the district to educate make the masses aware of the viral disease and educate them on precautionary measures against it.

The DCO launched the campaign in Fauji Colony, Pirwadhai, from where a dengue case had been reported. Executive District Officer (EDO), Health, Dr Zafar Iqbal Gondal, Health Officer Dr Ansar Ishaq and UC Nazim Bashir Khan also accompanied him at the inaugural ceremony.

He said public education was must to minimise chances of spread of the disease. He urged people to dispose of stagnant water in and around their houses at the earliest to avoid the deadly disease.

The frequency of mosquito bite is high at sunrise and sunset timings, which also suit the harmful germs to prompt dengue fever, the DCO said, adding, the District Health Department officials would work round the clock to make the dive a success. He also warned the officials of zero tolerance policy in case of any negligence on their part.

The EDO said the teams had registered all tire shops of Rawalpindi, which would be paid special attention during the campaign. He said unhygienic condition in the environs of tire shops caused formation of breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

The people can contact the health department by phone number 051-4831965 in case any team does not visit their area, he said.

 

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Re: Pakistan: Dengue Cases

Source: http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock News/2257482/

PG: Health Deptt to envisage new strategy to control dengue fever
Fri. April 03, 2009; Posted: 08:13 PM


LAHORE, Apr 03, 2009
Punjab Health Department would implement new strategy to control dengue fever and the Biological Vector Control Method would be utilized. For this purpose, Biological Spray would be conducted in Lahore. It was decided in a meeting held in the Health Department under the chairmanship of the Secretary Health Punjab Anwaar Ahmad Khan, here Thursday.

Addl. Secretary Health (Tech) Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad, DG Health Dr. Muhammad Aslam Ch., Principal Allama Iqbal Medical College Prof. Dr. Javed Akram, Prof. Naheed Humayun Sheikh of Community Medicine AIMC, Prof. Nausheen, Prof. Nusrat Jehan of Zoology Department GCU Lahore, Bacteriologist IPH Dr. Zarfishan, Director Health CDC Dr. Islam Zafar, Director Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) Dr. Mehfooz-ur-Rehman and others attended the meeting.

It was decided that globally recognized method of biological vector control would be applied to eliminate the dengue mosquitoes for this purpose Vector Back GW(BTI Biological Agent) would be purchased through WHO and provided to City District Government Health Department Lahore.

Secretary Health Anwaar Ahmad Khan, while approving the plan, directed that the work should immediately be started on this new strategy. For this purpose, Punjab Health Department, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Institute of Public Health and Government College University Zoology Department would jointly finalize all the arrangements by the end of June 2009. He also directed that the spray of Biological Agent in Lahore should be ensured in the first week of July 2009. He directed that special attention should be paid to the northern Lahore where the majority dengue cases were reported in the last year.

Biological tablets would also be distributed among the citizens to use in the water tanks and other water reservoirs to check the breeding of dengue mosquitoes, he added.
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