PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=55534&Itemid=2

15 new patients suspected of Dengue fever brought to hospitals

KARACHI, Oct 13 (APP)- Giving latest position about Dengue fever the Provincial Health Minister, Dr Saghir Ahmed said on Monday that so far 874 patients suspected of having Dengue fever have been brought to various hospitals in the Province and 286 of them stood positive.

During the last 24 hours, he said, 15 new patients were brought to various hospitals in Karachi and with this the number of patients admitted on Dengue suspicion has risen to 29.

Dr Saghir said 9 patients have been discharged during the last 24 hours.

He reiterated that all District hospitals in the Province have been clearly directed not to recover charges of any kind from patients with dengue fever and such patients be provided free screening facility and plateletts.

The Minister said that of the 15 new patients brought during the last 24 hours, were admitted to Bantwa Memon Hospital, 8 in Abbasi Shaheed hospital, two in Jinnah Hospital, 2 in Qatar Hospital and one in National Institute of Blood Diseases.

Dr Saghir said that although Dengue fever is harmful but protection is possible with preventive measures and Sindh Government has taken special measures in this regard.

He pointed out that Civil Hospital Karachi and Liaquat Medical University Hospital Hyderabad have been selected as central treatment centres for dengue fever while mega pletilets machines have been installed in Karachi, Larkana and Nawabshah Civil Hospitals

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-n.../18-Oct-2008/Medics-fall-prey-to-dengue-fever

Medics fall prey to dengue fever
By ASIF CHAUDHRY submitted 7 hours 37 minutes ago

LAHORE - Outbreak of dengue fever in Shaikh Zayed Hospital caused panic among the doctors and the staff as six hospital employees including an emergency doctor and five staff nurses were tested positive in clinical reports besides other patients, The Nation learnt on Friday.
Talking to The Nation, Head of Medicine Department SZH, Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal confirmed that five staff nurses and one doctor of the hospital complained about dengue fever and clinical assessment revealed that they were suffering from this disease.
The hospital officials also confirmed the reports about the six dengue fever hospital officials including Dr Balghari who was discharging his duties in the emergency department.
The frightened doctor has gone on leave for 15 days, the source said, adding he was residing in the hospital?s premises. The reports revealed that the platelet counts of Dr Balghari were only 30,000 when he was diagnosed as dengue patient.
Dr Zafar further told this scribe that he himself had treated no less than 25 dengue patients during the last four days. Out of these, he said, around a dozen patients visited the hospital while the others came to his clinic where they were tested positive. A hospital source said that scores of other hospital employees, mostly staff nurses, have also been kept under observation due to symptoms of dengue fever. The affected dengue patients including the doctor are residing in the hostels of the Shaikh Zayed hospital. The administration has no option but to shift the dengue patients to the general wards of other patients due to nonfunctioning sickbay ward.
The sickbay ward established last year by the hospital management for the treatment of dengue patients was not functioning for the last eight months. The ward was set up only for the treatment of dengue patients as the patients were kept in isolation for better handling. The sickbay ward was closed due to acute shortage of the staff nurses, the source disclosed, adding that the hospital was facing shortage of 60 staff nurses.
Shaikh Zayed Hospital had received a large number of dengue patients after Sir Ganga Ram Hospital last year. At present again the said two hospitals are treating a large number of dengue patients and around seven such cases have been reported in Ganga Ram Hospital so far during the last 30 days.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=143048

Hundreds of dengue patients in hospitals
Saturday, October 25, 2008
By Amer Malik

LAHORE

PROVINCIAL and local government health authorities have failed to control dengue fever spread as hundreds of patients, suffering from dengue fever, have been admitted to public and private hospitals in the provincial metropolis.

On Friday, 14 more people were confirmed dengue positive. Out of these patients, 11 are being treated at Mayo Hospital and three at the Institute of Public Health, Lahore.

Officials of the Health Department of the City District Government Lahore have claimed that 122 patients had been confirmed dengue positive after diagnostic tests. The alarming situation, however, has failed to move health authorities into taking steps to control the spread of dengue fever in the City.

Doctors have confirmed that hundreds of dengue fever patients have been admitted to public and private hospitals in Lahore. This is contrary to the official version that a few dozen patients suffering from dengue fever are being treated at City hospitals.

Imran Raza Farooqi, 19, a resident of Temple Road, died at a private hospital a few days ago. He was suspected of suffering from dengue fever.

Public hospital doctors have said inadequate arrangements were hampering the treatment of dengue fever patients. ?Hospitals are not equipped to conduct dengue fever tests. Blood samples of suspected dengue fever patients are sent to the Institute of Public Health,? they said.

What is worse is that suspected dengue fever patients are not being kept in quarantine to prevent the spread of dengue fever. Patients? attendants have also complained of inadequate treatment at hospitals, claiming that doctors were not giving proper attention to dengue patients and medicines were also not readily available.

Talking to The News, Dr Azeem Taj of the Sheikh Zayed Hospital said hundreds of patients with dengue fever symptoms were being treated in all public and private hospitals. He claimed dengue fever had broken out with the onset of mosquito breeding season.

?Dengue fever patients started arriving in hospitals from September with the onset of mosquito breeding season,? he said and added that although dengue fever was not confirmed in these patients but symptoms were clearly visible. He said a person was suspected of suffering from dengue fever until diagnostic test confirmed presence of dengue virus.

Dr Taj also provided consultation services to a suspected dengue fever patient who died in a private hospital recently. He, however, said dengue fever was a curable disease yet there were 10 per cent chances that it could become complicated and only one per cent chance that it could become life-threatening. ?The patient who died in the hospital last Sunday could not survive despite being treated for dengue fever because he fell in the one per cent category,? he said.

Citizens have complained that health authorities of the provincial and district governments have not carried out fumigation and mosquitoes were breeding in water ponds as a result. People have demanded authorities should not only conduct insecticide spray in City but also remove stagnant water ponds by improving sewerage system.

Pakistan Medical Society Chairman Dr Masood Akhtar Sheikh feared dengue hemorrhagic cases, which was a more dangerous form of the disease, was expected to strike as previously identified dengue fever patients had become susceptible to this disease. [/U]He said this year?s fresh cases of acute dengue fever would be confirmed as Immunoglobulin-M, whereas previous chronic cases of dengue fever would be identified as Immunoglobulin-G. He said that it would be extremely dangerous if a patient was confirmed dengue hemorrhagic with both Immunoglobulin-G and Immunoglobulin-M. Last year, he said more than 250 patients were confirmed dengue fever positive and they had lost immunity against the disease.

He advised people to undergo diagnostic tests on feeling ?bone-breaking? pain/fever. He said bleeding from mouth and nose in fever were symptoms of dengue hemorrhagic fever. He said dengue fever was curable if detected at an early stage. ?Dengue fever cures with just symptomatic treatment,? he said and added there was no specific treatment for dengue fever. ?The vaccine to prevent dengue fever is yet to be discovered,? he said.

Dr Hanif, the CDGL Health Department?s focal person on dengue fever, claimed 122 people had been diagnosed suffering from dengue fever so far. At least 14 patients were diagnosed dengue fever positive on Friday. He said five more family members of the 19-year-old boy who died due to dengue fever were also confirmed dengue fever positive. They were treated and later discharged from hospital. Similarly, majority of such patients were successfully treated and discharged from hospitals.

He said district health authorities were carrying out fumigation to eliminate mosquitoes in various areas especially vulnerable localities. ?We are conducting clinical tests of family members of a dengue fever patient and even people in the neighbourhood in order to prevent dengue outbreak,? he said. He said the government was offering free dengue diagnostic tests at the Institute of Public Health and any patient or hospitals could avail this service.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=144283

Saturday, November 01, 2008
Muhammad Qasim

Rawalpindi

The number of dengue fever cases being registered at two of the three allied hospitals ? Holy Family Hospital (HFH) and Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) ? are still on the rise. The two hospitals have so far received a total of 49 cases.

The HFH has received a total of 26 cases of dengue fever during last three months. ?Of the 26 dengue fever suspects, 13 have been tested positive by the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, while more than 10 negative,? said Additional Medical Superintendent at the HFH Dr. Nasir Mehmood while talking to ?The News? on Friday.

He added that the HFH has discharged 16 cases of the infection after treatment while five cases of the infection, including confirmed and suspected ones, are undergoing treatment at the hospital.

?Of course, the dengue fever has proved itself more fatal than the last spike as of the total of 26 cases registered at the HFH, five have lost their lives,? said Dr. Nasir while responding to a query.

The HFH received the first suspected patient of the infection this year on August 12 namely Shahzad Gul, aged 37, a resident of Haripur. Shahzad died of dengue fever at the HFH. The other confirmed cases of the infection who died at the HFH were Gul Rahim, aged 37, Nisar, aged 13, and Arshad, aged 35. Rahim who was a resident of Khayaban-e-Sir Syed in Rawalpindi reached the HFH on August 20 while Nisar was taken to the hospital from Haripur on August 27. Arshad was a resident of Islamabad who reached the HFH on September 22 with symptoms of dengue fever. He died within 24 hours after admission.

Data collected by ?The News? revealed that the Benazir Bhutto Hospital, on the other hand, has received a total of 23 patients who were suspected of dengue fever. The NIH has confirmed five of the 23 cases registered at the BBH positive while 16 negative. Two suspected patients of dengue fever are presently undergoing treatment at Medical Unit II of the BBH whose blood samples have been sent to the NIH for dengue serology. The NIH has yet to release confirmatory reports into two cases.

District Headquarters Hospital, however, has received not a single suspected case of the infection this year so far.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://thepost.com.pk/CityNewsT.aspx?dtlid=191307&catid=3

Dengue fever claims another life

Staff Reporter

LAHORE: The deadly dengue fever outbreak in the provincial capital has claimed another life here on Saturday.

The death of a 22-year-old youth, Muhammad Aslam, who was suffering from dengue fever and was admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, where on Saturday evening he breathed his last. Two consecutive deaths in two days have left a question mark on the tall claims by the Punjab health department and the city district health department regarding the disease control.

The deceased was a resident of Badami Bagh and brother of four. His marriage was fixed in the upcoming days.

Badami Bagh is one of the localities where spread of dengue virus was being reported but the district government did not carry out fumigation or any other prevention and control activity in the area.

Sir Ganga Ram Hospital DMS Dr Shaffique confirmed boy's death. He revealed the patient was brought with severe attack of dengue fever but despite best efforts of a team of senior doctors the youth breathed his last in the Surgical-II of the hospital.

Dengue fever cases are on the rise across the province as around 570 dengue cases have been registered in a brief period of time.

Out of the total, 536 dengue patients tested positive in their clinical reports belong to the provincial city.

"A comparative study of the statistics of dengue patients registered in the previous years and the current year shows that the situation in the city is more serious", a health officer said.

A health department source disclosed that the number in current year is twice high as in the last year.

The Lahorites are panicked despite claims by the officials that the situation was under control and assurances by the Punjab government and the CDG that proper fumigation would be arranged when and where needed.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://thepost.com.pk/ShortNewsT.aspx?shortid=7051&catid=3

Dengue fever hits City

Hospitals, clinics swarmed with patients | Private labs charging Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 for tests | KEMC VC asks people to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites | DO (health) claims vigorous measures being taken to control disease

Manzoor Qadir

LAHORE: The city is in the grip of no less than an epidemic of dengue fever which has affected scores of people who are swamping hospitals and clinics, exposing the shabby public health system of the government.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease that has reportedly claimed five people, including two women, in the city only. However, the city district health department has confirmed only one death, a woman Rasheeda Bibi, 54 of Poonch Road, who was confirmed as dengue fever positive through laboratory test and expired on last Thursday at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

The Post has learnt that health authorities are finding it difficult to cope with the rush of patients, including children and women.

The problem has revealed the fact that the government hospitals are not equipped at all for the cure which involves transfusion of blood platelets too.

As a result, many patients are being forced to visit private hospitals, clinics and pathology labs for treatment and serology tests. The deadly dengue fever outbreak in the province is showing no signs of subsiding because this year there have so far been over 1,000 cases of the disease reported in the province, out of which around 870 cases have been reported in the city alone, more than four times as compared to the last year.

Moreover, the health officials owing to its poor coordination could not collect proper day-to-day data, insiders of the health department claimed. According to the official data, another 22 cases of confirmed dengue fever were detected in the city on Saturday which raised the total number of reported dengue fever patients to 487 in the provincial capital city alone out of 517 in the Punjab so far.

At the private labs, the patients have been charged from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 for their dengue confirmation tests (serology tests). Nair Ali, a relative of female patient, admitted to Mayo Hospital, maintained that he had to purchase about 40 to 50 per cent medicines from the market.

Currently, 17 patients are getting treatment at Mayo Hospital, eight at Sir Gaga Ram Hospital and five at Services Hospital while another 29 patients have been treated at various private hospitals.

Talking to The Post, District Officer Health Dr Caveat appealed to the people not to be panic as the health department was taking vigorous measures to curb the surge of dengue in the city. He claimed the department was constantly engaged in fumigation and spraying the chemicals in the suspected areas for killing the larva of aides aegypti. The department is also playing an active role to create awareness of this disease among the general masses, adding more cases are being reported in the city as compared to previous years owing to awareness, he claimed.

Talking to The Post, King Edward Medical University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zafarullah Khan maintained that dengue infection does not spread from person to person. However, people should take precautions to avoid any stink of mosquitoes as the disease is transmitted only due to the mosquito bite. Dengue fever is usually a mild infection but if appropriate care is not taken, serious complications can develop in some patients, he added.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58717&Itemid=2

Solid measures taken to curb dengue virus: Shahbaz Sharif

LAHORE, Nov 10 (APP): Punjab Chief Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that no effort will be spared to save the people from such fatal diseases as dengue fever and polio and solid measures are being taken in this regard. He ordered immediate suspension of District Officer Health, Lahore for failure to take effective steps to curb dengue virus as well as showing poor performance in this regard.

He also issued instructions for setting up a task force immediately for controlling dengue virus in the provincial metropolis. The task force will have all necessary administrative and financial powers and will operate on war footing to save the citizens from dengue virus.

He was addressing a high-level meeting held for eradication of dengue fever and polio, here Monday. Minister Excise Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Member National Assembly Mian Marghoob Ahmad, Chairman Task Force Dr. Asad Ashraf, Advisor Saeed Mehdi, Secretary Health, Principal Fatima Jinnah Medical College Prof. Abdul Majeed, Prof. Aman Ullah, DG Health Services besides others senior officers were also present.

The Chief Minister while addressing the meeting said that the growing rate of dengue fever cases in Lahore and other cities is a matter of grave concern and it is lamentable that neither timely measure were taken to curb this lethal disease nor any effort was made to promote public awareness regarding preventive measures.

He said that carelessness and dereliction of duty on the part of the departments concerned is among the causes of outbreak of this disease. He said that it is regrettable that no proper arrangements has been made for conducting spray against this virus in the affected areas and the inefficiency in this regard can be judged from the fact that EDO Health had only ten fogging machines for the whole city whereas at least 270 machines were required and he had made no effort for the purchase of more machines.

He said that an amount of only ten to twelve lakh rupees was required for spray pumps but no responsibility was shown. The Chief Minister said that the life of every citizen is precious to him and he is ready to make available all out resources for this purpose.

He said that those showing laxity in this regard deserve no leniency. The Chief Minister ordered immediate suspension of District Health Officer Lahore. He also issued instructions for the setting up of a task force to be headed by Member Provincial Assembly Dr. Asad Ashraf comprising assembly members and officers of the concerned departments.

The committee will purchase necessary equipment and machines within next 72 hours and initiate spray in the affected areas for controlling dengue virus.

He further said that the task force will have his powers as well as that of Secretary Health and DCO and will be fully authorized to purchase whatever machinery and can take all necessary measures for saving the people from dengue virus.

Mian Shehbaz Sharif directed Secretary Health to undertake immediate visit to Rawalpindi, Faisalabad as well as other cities and submit him a report in 72 hours regarding dengue fever and polio.

He said that immediate measures should be taken to check any threats of outbreak of this disease in any area. He directed that health department should launch an effective campaign to promote public awareness about preventive measures against dengue fever.

He said that arrangements should also be made for holding of seminars, discussions as well as publication of advertisements and booklets and cooperation of all segments of society should be sought for this purpose.

The Chief Minister also issued warning to DG Health Services to evolve a comprehensive strategy for eradication of dengue and polio from the province.

The Chief Minister made an appeal to health department and concerned organizations on behalf of the people to take solid measures to check the loss of innocent lives. He directed that polio vaccine should be purchased only from UNICEF in future instead of private contractors and federal government should be approached for this purpose while proper arrangements should be made for storage of polio vaccine.

He asked principals of medical colleges and medical superintendents of hospitals not to hide facts about dengue virus and polio and provide correct information to media in this regard. The Chief Minister ordered an inquiry into the purchase of granite tiles for Services Institute of Medical Sciences in violation of his clear instructions.

He said that while people are dying due to non-availability of medicines, highly expensive imported tiles worth more than Rs. 40 million are being used for this project.

He also took notice of the use of sub-standard tiles in the construction of SIMS and asked for a report within seven days. Director General Health Services informed the meeting that four persons have lost their lives so far due to dengue virus in Lahore.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://thepost.com.pk/LetNews.aspx?dtlid=191501&catid=4

Malaria in Lahore
KHAWAR ALI, LAHORE

After the alarming increase in dengue patients, Lahore is hit by massive malaria cases being reported in the public and private hospitals. The spread of malaria is taking place at a time when dengue fever has also gripped Lahore registering around 304 out of 344 dengue patients reported across the province. The medical experts disclosed that there was 15 to 20 percent increase in the number of malarial patients visiting the hospitals during the last 15 days. According to doctors the long spell of the dry weather is one of the main reasons behind the surge of malaria. However, malaria is on the top of the list of diseases among the people visiting hospitals. The next serious disease is the dengue fever which is also on the rise and an average of 25 cases of the disease is being reported every day. Malaria has the same symptoms like dengue fever. The number of reported cases of dengue fever being reported this year was almost 10 times higher than the past two years. The confirmed number of dengue patients in Lahore is less than 160, but the number of suspected cases ran into thousands.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://thepost.com.pk/CityNewsT.aspx?dtlid=191590&catid=3

DHF the worst form of Dengue fever

Manzoor Qadir

LAHORE: Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF), the worst form of dengue fever that has already claimed six lives in city over the past few days has been unusually rampant this season, said health experts.

They are worried over the increasing number of patients, fearing that that it could rise even further since dengue has been endemic in the city for the last two years.

Only second-time patients are likely to have DHF, they said, adding that the people who had the dengue fever earlier might be falling prey. There are four types of dengue viruses that cause dengue fever worldwide - Den 1, 2, 3 and 4. A combination of any two of them leads to haemorrhagic dengue, said professor at King Edward Medical University and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Group Chairman Dr Asharaf Sultan while talking to The Post exclusively.

Dengue viruses can cause a wide spectrum of infections ranging from a non-specific viral infection to classical dengue fever and then, up to this level, this infection is self-limiting. "The primary infection causes only fever but after that if there is second infection or secondary infection owing to any four types different then that of first type who caused first infection after the interval of 6 months to 5 years, leads to Dengue Fever Hemorrhage Fever (DHF)/ Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS) which is sever form of the disease," he explained.

For instance, if a patient was affected by DEN-1infection and consequently, he got immunity against DEN-1 for the whole life despite of the fact he/she contracts the same type of dengue virus for unlimited times. However, he will not be immune to other types of dengue virus and will, in fact, be at risk of developing severe symptoms if he contract another types of dengue virus -Den 2, 3 and 4, he elaborated.

Head of the Pediatric Department of Mayo Hospital, Prof Ashraf Sultan said a first-time dengue patient is relatively safe. But if he suffers a second attack of a different type, then haemorrhagic dengue is certain. This happens due to the conflict between the immunity developed after each attack," he explained.

Talking about the unusual rampant of the disease this season, he said if we follow the epidemiological pattern of the fever in this region (India-Pakistan), it takes 10 years at least for the disease to transform into the severe form like DHF and DSS. In 1994, dengue fever broke out in Karachi and now, we are in the final stages of epidemic as initially, there was only dengue fever, now it is severe form of the disease in shape of DHF. It would continue devastating the population, if measures are not adopted in time, he hinted. Dengue leads to high fever with joint pain and headache. Haemorrhagic dengue might lead to bleeding from the eyes, nose and through urine or stool, he remarked.

Another senior consultant and former principal Fatima Jinnah College Prof Dr Akbar Chaudhry said dengue fever is on the rise in the city and all four types are prevalent. He, however, urged people not to panic since dengue fever is not a serious illness and seldom kills any anybody while most of deaths are occurred owing to dengue DHF/DSS, hence, there is a need to recognise the patients who are at risk of developing DSS for early treatment.

Eastern Mediterranean Region of World Health Organisation (EMRO-WHO) Adviser on Infectious Diseases Dr Akbar Chaudhry maintained cases of patients being afflicted by two different strains together are rare. Even if that happens, the patient is not likely to have haemorrhagic dengue immediately for it takes about six months to a year for the strains to come into conflict. "Those suffering from or dying of haemorrhagic dengue must have had the fever earlier. Dengue has struck the city regularly since 2006. We need to map the outbreak pattern immediately," stressed Dr Akbar Chaudhry, who is also one of the eight members of WHO's Task Force on Bird Flu.

Dr Sajjad Hyder said nearly 200 blood samples are being tested daily at Institute of Public Health for dengue. Around 5 percent have tested positive for dengue so far, he claimed. The figures are being sent to the health department. But the latter hast yet to decide on analyzing the outbreak pattern. "The situation is under control and there is nothing to be alarmed about," claimed by the health officials. Underscoring the protective measures to control the diseases," he said.

Precautions include wearing long-sleeved clothes, using mosquito coils and electric vapour mats, and using insect repellent over the exposed parts of the body. "There were mainly two things to be done by the government and communities, emergency mosquito control and immediate treatment of patients in hospitals. Heaps of garbage, water from potted plants and pounded areas and filthy areas should be cleaned daily, he said, adding that old, unused objects like torn tires, empty tins and bottles should be disposed so that they do not collect water that is main source of breeding eggs of the mosquitoes.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://thepost.com.pk/ShortNewsT.aspx?shortid=7077&catid=3

Operation dengue virus underway in City

120 teams conducting anti-mosquito spray in sensitive areas | No laxity to be tolerated: doctors told

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Excise & Taxation and Chairman Special Committee on Dengue Virus Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman has said that operation to control dengue virus is underway as the Chief Minister Punjab has taken serious notice of the situation.

He said that 120 teams are conducting anti-mosquito spray in sensitive areas adding that instructions have been passed on to the medical superintendents of hospitals that no laxity would be tolerated in the treatment of dengue patients.

He was addressing an awareness seminar arranged by the health department regarding the dengue fever at King Edward Medical University, here Wednesday. KEMU VC Prof Zafarullah Khan, DG health Punjab Dr. Muhammad Aslam Ch., Director CDC Dr Zia-ur-Rehman, member Task Force Dr Naeem-ud-Din Mian and Prof Mushtaq Haroon addressed the seminar.

The minister said that each and every human life is precious and the government is committed to eradicate this virus at all costs. He said the concerned departments are evolving a strategy to control this virus so that it could not spread in the next season. DG health Dr. Muhammad Aslam Ch while addressing the seminar said that government functionaries are actively busy in eliminating mosquito through spray. He said that it has been decided to conduct anti-mosquito spray in the whole city. He said that hospitals' administrations have been directed to conduct tests of all suspected dengue patients who come with fever in their hospitals. He said that it is a public problem and would be controlled with the cooperation of people.

Dr Naeem-ud-Din Mian said that dengue fever is a new disease in Pakistan and it will be controlled with joint efforts of the government and the masses. He urged upon the young doctors to come forward for creating awareness among the people regarding dengue fever.

Later, the Minister visited the hospital to inquire about the health of patients. At present 14 female and 20 male dengue patients are under treatment in Mayo hospital.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=18441

Two more die of dengue fever in Lahore
Tuesday, November 18, 2008

By Amer Malik

LAHORE: The dengue fever has assumed alarming proportions, as the figure of dead patients has reached 11 after two more patients died of dengue virus Monday.

Jamal Ahmad, 20, resident of Piplan, Mianwali, expired due to dengue fever in Services Hospital, while Taj Begum, 65, resident of Islamia Park, died due to dengue fever at Jinnah Hospital Monday.

Dr Zia-ur-Rehman, Director Communicable Disease Control (CDC), confirmed death of Jamal Ahmad due to dengue fever Monday, saying that patient?s platelet counts in blood had fallen down to 16,000. However, he expressed ignorance about the death of another patient in Jinnah Hospital.

The Jinnah Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Zahid Pervaiz said Taj Begum, who had been admitted with heart ailment and severe temperature in the hospital on November 14, had expired Monday. However, he said the patient had died of heart failure, yet he said a hospital?s inquiry committee had been formed to determine cause of his death. However, the family of Taj Begum accused that the patient had died of dengue fever detected during a test conducted at Jinnah Hospital the other day.

Besides, nine other patients of dengue fever have already expired in the City during the last few weeks, while three other patients Imran Raza, Imrana, and Uzma, a nurse in Punjab Institute of Cardiology, had also expired as ?suspected? dengue fever patients.

Besides, another 110 patients were confirmed as dengue fever positive in the City Monday, out of which 22 were admitted to public sector hospitals, including nine patients to Jinnah Hospital, 6 to Services Hospital, 4 to Mayo Hospital, 2 to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and one patient is admitted to Lahore General Hospital. 20 patients belong to Lahore and other two belong to Mianwali and Sheikhupura. Besides, another 88 patients were confirmed as dengue fever positive at the Bacteriologist Laboratory of Institute of Public Health, Lahore, Monday.

Sources told The News that EDO (Health), Lahore, Dr Fayyaz Ahmad Ranjha has also suffered from dengue fever, as he neither attended his office nor participated in any activities during last three days. However, talking to journalists, he denied it, saying he was running temperature and had been advised to take rest, after which he attended office Monday.

Director CDC Dr Zia-ur-Rehman said 1,040 patients had been reported as dengue fever positive in Lahore out of which 73 were still under treatment, while the remaining patients have recovered. He confirmed 110 new dengue patients were confirmed Monday, including 88 tested positive at Bacteriologist Laboratory of Institute of Public Health, Lahore, and 22 in hospitals in Lahore.

Denying death of seven patients from dengue fever, Dr Zia claimed five patients had died of dengue fever so far, while remaining six were not diagnosed as dengue patient. ?All of us must pray for rain, which will help eliminate dengue fever,? he added.

Scores of private laboratories and hospitals have facilities of confirmatory tests of dengue, but the Health authorities never bothered to get statistics from them and most infected areas never receive fumigation in Lahore. The patients complained of lack of care in the hospitals.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\11\22\story_22-11-2008_pg13_9

Thirteen more dengue fever cases reported in 24 hours

Staff Report

LAHORE: Thirteen more people have been diagnosed with dengue fever in the past 24 hours, a Health Department spokesman said on Friday.

Five patients were admitted to the Mayo Hospital, while three new cases have been reported in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Two patients were admitted to the Services Hospital and three more were rushed to the Jinnah Hospital. In Punjab, 1,141 dengue fever cases have been reported during the past 11 months, of which 1,058 cases were reported in Lahore.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=60715

4,050 dengue patients in Lahore hospitals
Updated at: 1900 PST, Saturday, November 22, 2008

LAHORE: A total of 4,050 patients have tested positive for dengue virus in two major government hospitals and the Institute for Public Health in Lahore.

However, government figures put the number of patients in public hospitals to 1,107.

According the head of Micro Biology Department of Meo Hospital, Dr. Tayyaba Aijaz out of 2000 patients brought to the hospital during the season, 1,200 patients tested positive for dengue.

While 1,350 patients out of 3,000 brought to Gangaram Hospital Lahore proved to have been affected by the disease.

At the Institute of Public Health Lahore 1,150 patients tested positive for the disease.

These figures reflect the number of patients confirmed to have been affected by the dengue virus in the above three government run medical facilities.

There is also a large number of dengue patients brought to other private clinics and hospitals.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=148369

Dengue death toll now 17
Sunday, November 23, 2008
By By Our Correspondent
LAHORE

THE number of victims dying of dengue fever has reached 17 after another patient died of the fever in Lahore on Saturday, whereas as many as 64 new patients have also been reported dengue virus positive in the provincial metropolis during the last 24 hours.

According to details, a patient, namely Asad Ali, resident of Chauburji Garden, died due to dengue virus in Services Hospital on Saturday.

Besides, 16 other patients including Mrs Asad, 35, resident of Iqbal Town, Jannat Bibi, 55, resident of Krishan Nagar, Sheikh Ibrahim, 65, resident of Township, Surraya Begum, 58, resident of Mughalpura, Irfan, 25, resident of Narang Mandi, Jamal Ahmad, 20, resident of Piplan, District Mianwali, Taj Begum, 65, resident of Islamia Park, Rasheeda Bibi, 54, resident of Poonch Road, Nasreen Bibi, 35, resident of Rang Mehal, Muhammad Aslam, 22, resident of Badami Bagh, Sidra, 18, resident of Wireless Colony, Labha, 24, resident of Chungi Amar Sadhu, Waseem, 20, resident of Ravi Road, Imran Raza Farooqi, 19, a resident of Temple Road, Imrana, 20, resident of Sanda, and Uzma Butt, a nurse in Punjab Institute of Cardiology, had already expired due to dengue fever in different public and private hospitals in the City.

However, the provincial and districts health authorities have claimed that the number of deaths due to dengue fever was less than 17, as most of the ?suspected? patients were either not suffering from dengue virus or primarily dengue fever was not the cause of death among some of the patients.

On Saturday, it was learnt that as many as 42 patients had been found dengue virus positive in the Bacteriologist Laboratory of Institute of Public Health, Lahore, while 22 more dengue fever patients had been admitted to different hospitals in Lahore. At present, a total of 65 patients are under treatment in different hospitals.

Besides, three other patients have been found dengue fever positive including two new patients in Rawalpindi and one patient in Multan on Saturday. It has raised the total number of dengue fever patients to 1216 in Punjab including 1152 detected dengue virus positive in Lahore alone.

Meanwhile, according to details, 9 new patients have been admitted to the Mayo Hospital, while 18 had been discharged and, at present, 19 patients are under treatment in this hospital. Similarly, 10 patients of dengue fever have been discharged from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and, at present, 11 patients are under treatment in the hospital.

Moreover, seven new cases have been brought to Services Hospital, while three patients have been discharged.

Likewise, seven patients have been discharged from Jinnah Hospital, whereas one new patient has been admitted to the hospital and, at present, 16 dengue patients are under treatment in Jinnah Hospital. One new patient has been admitted to the Lahore General Hospital, while three patients have been discharged. One new patient has been admitted to the Children?s Hospital during the last 24 hours.

Moreover, with the report of two new patients of dengue fever in Rawalpindi and one patient in Multan, a total of seven dengue fever patients are under treatment in Rawalpindi and Multan, as one new and two old patients are under treatment in Holy Family Hospital, two patients in Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital (Rawalpindi General Hospital,) and one in DHQ Hospital, Rawalpindi, while one patient is under treatment in Nishtar Hospital, Multan. Meanwhile, the complaints of non-spay continue to pour in as provincial and district health spray teams failed to reach many areas to conduct fumigation, and as a result, mosquitoes continue to sting dengue within the blood of people in different areas of the City.

The health authorities are of the view that dengue fever is on the decline with the drop in mercury and would be completely eliminated with rain. However, they say they are making all out efforts to conduct fogging, residual and insecticidal sprays in most affected areas in order to control the spread of the disease among the people in the City.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=148864

?CDGL failed to take effective measures?
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
By By Our Correspondent
LAHORE

The Chief Minister?s Task Force on Health has squarely blamed the City District Government Lahore for failure to take effective measures which lead to the outbreak of dengue virus besides subsequent inaction to control the rapid spread of disease among the people in the provincial metropolis during the ongoing season.

However, it fell short of taking any action against the authorities concerned of the district government responsible for negligence in control of rapid spread of dengue fever, which had claimed lives of six people, confirmed as having died of dengue fever, in the City.

Addressing a press conference at the Chief Minister?s Secretariat on Monday, Task Force on Health Chairman Dr Asad Ashraf, along with Director General Health Services, Punjab, Dr Muhammad Aslam Chaudhry, however, told the newsmen that a committee had been formed to fix the responsibility in this regard. ?The Chief Minister has constituted a special committee to probe into the causes of spread of dengue virus and failure on the part of departments concerned to take timely action for prevention and control of the rapid spread of the disease. He said strict action would be taken as per law against the persons responsible if it was proved that negligence was the cause of deaths.

He said that this endemic situation vis-?-vis dengue virus outbreak and its impact could have been averted if the district government institutions had taken timely action on the directions of Provincial Health Department. He stressed the need for improvement in inter-departmental coordination. Although complete elimination of dengue virus is not possible, yet he said, it can be controlled by taking preventive measures and exterminating mosquitoes through spray and other means. ?The dengue fever is a curable disease,? he added.

Dr Asad Ashraf informed that a total of 1,197 cases of dengue virus had been traced in Punjab including 1,115 cases of dengue virus in Lahore alone. He also confirmed six deaths caused due to dengue fever in the City including one patient from Mianwali, whereas six victims of dengue fever also included a female patient.

He said that as many as 13 new cases were reported in Lahore and one in Rahim Yar Khan on Monday, whereas at present, 73 dengue patients were under treatment in various teaching hospitals including a patient in Rahim Yar Khan. ?The dengue fever cases are on the decline due to effective measures taken on the instructions of the Punjab Chief Minister,? he said and added that dengue virus situation was being monitored on daily basis and report was regularly being sent to the CM.

Presently, he said that 319 spray teams and fogging machines were conducting fogging and insecticidal sprays in the City and this process would soon be completed. To a question regarding ignoring almost 80 per cent of the City?s localities during the ongoing fumigation drive against dengue fever, he said that the authorities concerned would try and reach all localities of Lahore. He said that indiscriminate fogging was not advisable due to adverse effects of medicinal spray. He said that the government would also look into the complaints of poor quality of spraying material which insufficient to exterminate mosquitoes causing dengue fever among the people.

To another question regarding absence of any mechanism to collect data of patients, detected as dengue fever positive, from private hospitals, clinics and laboratories, he said that the Punjab government had given an advertisement in national newspapers, asking the private hospitals and laboratories to voluntarily submit the data of dengue fever patients to the Health Department. However, according to reports, no private hospitals and laboratories had submitted any data in this regard voluntarily. Resultantly, the Health Department failed to effectively control the rapid spread of dengue virus in Lahore due to non-availability of any data of particular areas with disease concentration.

Dr Asad Ashraf said that the Punjab government had also allocated Rs one million for the establishment of a Center of Excellence Allama Iqbal Medical College/Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, for operational research on dengue virus. ?Research will be conducted on blood samples of 1,000 patients at this center,? he added.

He said that the facility of platelets was available at Children?s Hospital, Mayo Hospital, Jinnah Hospital and Blood Transfusion Services (BTS), Punjab, Jail Road, being provided to the patients as per instructions of the doctors. To another question, he said that the facility of confirmatory test of dengue virus was available at all 35 districts of the province. ?The facility of Alisa test was available at DHQ hospitals in all districts of the province,? he added.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=148863

Action against depts if polio, dengue not controlled: CM
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
By By Our Correspondent
LAHORE

Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif has warned to take stern action against the local governments and departments concerned for failure in effective control of polio and dengue viruses in the province.

?The precious lives of people cannot be wasted due to the negligence of local government and the departments concerned,? he said while administering anti-polio doses to children to inaugurate the three-day anti-polio vaccination campaign at the Children?s Hospital on Monday. The anti-polio drive will continue from November 24 to 26, 2008.

?At least 6 or 7 people have died of dengue virus, which broke out due to the negligence of the local government,? the chief minister said while adding that the loss of single life due to any negligence was a blemish on the face of the entire government. He said that the local governments and departments concerned would be held accountable as proper check and balance and monitoring would be ensured and no laxity would be tolerated in this regard.

He said that the local governments and departments concerned would have to adopt preemptive preventive measures to control virus in the specific season such as dengue virus in pre-winter season.

The chief minister said that polio had been eradicated from the world but it had not been completely rooted out from Pakistan due to the negligence of the departments concerned. He said that more than one hundred polio cases had been detected in the country out of which 29 had been traced in Punjab.

He said that practical efforts were required for the success of polio-eradiation campaign and a comprehensive system of monitoring would be adopted at every level. He said that ministers and assembly members would inaugurate anti-polio campaign in the districts and supervise vaccination of children.

?The polio vaccination campaign will not just be a photo session and practical efforts will be made for saving the children from this crippling as well as fatal disease,? he added. However, he said, every member of society would have to play an active role for the eradication of polio from the country and save the young generation from this menace. ?Every institution will have to perform its responsibility with commitment and dedication and no one guilty of negligence would be spared,? he added. He said that timely measures had not been taken for the prevention of dengue fever due to which around six persons had lost their lives. He said that the health department and the local government were equally guilty but latter showed extreme negligence in this regard.

He said that efforts were being made on war footing for the elimination of dengue virus and the departments concerned had been fully activated. He said that he would hold a conference of professors, senior doctors and vice chancellors, principals, medical superintendents, paramedics in medical profession to discuss measures for the uplift of the health sector. In the light of the recommendations of the conference, he said, conditions at hospitals would be improved and measures taken for the provision of better healthcare facilities to the common man. The chief minister made an appeal to people belonging to all walks of life to display a sense of national responsibility and participate in anti-polio campaign at district, tehsil, union council levels. He also stressed upon the parents to extend all-out cooperation to the health department teams and ensure vaccination of their children. In response to a question about sub-standard vaccine, the chief minister said that a committee has been formed to probe the matter and action would be taken against the persons responsible in the light of its report.

Earlier, Health Secretary Anwar Ahmad Khan informed that more than 38,042 teams had been constituted to administer polio drops to around 17 million children. Similarly, he said, Vitamin-A supplementation would also be administered to about 14 million children in the province. He said that, presently, at least 29 polio cases had been detected in Punjab out of a total of 102 polio cases reported in Pakistan so far.

As Health Department launched anti-polio campaign on Monday, two more children were reported to have suffered attack of polio virus in Faisalabad, taking the total number of polio patients to 31 in Punjab.

The of the Children?s Hospital Prof Dr Tahir Masood said that the Children?s Hospital, which was established as 250-bedded pediatric health facility 10 years ago, had been upgraded to 795-bedded hospital functioning with 45 sub-specialties at the moment.

Besides, Chairman Task Force on Polio Eradication Dr Asad Ashraf, Children?s Hospital Medical Director Dr Ahsan Waheed Rathore, WHO Punjab Chief Dr Ahmed Darwish, UNICEF Punjab Chief Dr Deepak Bajracharya, MNAs, MPAs, senior professors and doctors as well as a large number of parents were also present on the occasion.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=149074

24 more dengue patients admitted
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
By Our Correspondent

LAHORE

AS many as 21 new patients of dengue fever have been admitted to different hospitals of the provincial metropolis during the last 24 hours.

In a DGPR handout issued on Tuesday a spokesman of the Punjab Health Department stated that a total of 76 patients of dengue fever were under treatment at hospitals while 18 had been discharged after treatment.

According to the details 17 new patients have been admitted to Mayo Hospital, 8 have been discharged after treatment while total 25 patients were under treatment at the hospital.

Two new patients were admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and one was discharged while the total number of under treatment patients at this hospital is 16.

In Services Hospital two new patients were admitted and one was discharged after treatment while 16 were still under treatment. No new patient was admitted to the Jinnah Hospital and 8 were discharged after treatment while 19 patients were still under treatment there.

According to the spokesman there was not a single patient of dengue fever under treatment at Lahore General Hospital and Children Hospital.

The spokesman further stated that Institute of Public Health Laboratory has confirmed 99 cases of dengue virus during the last three days. He said so far 1149 patients of dengue fever had been reported in Lahore while total of 1219 such patients had been reported in the province.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=149398

?Strategy for epidemics?
Friday, November 28, 2008
By Our Correspondent

LAHORE

CHIEF Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif has directed that an effective strategy should be adopted for checking the outbreak of epidemics in the province and a calendar should be prepared in this regard.

Comprehensive measures should be taken for the eradication of fatal diseases besides extensive campaign should also be launched for promoting awareness among the people regarding these diseases.

This was stated by him while presiding over a high level meeting held at Chief Minister?s Secretariat on Thursday to review the measures taken for elimination of dengue virus. Minister for Excise & Taxation Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, MNA Mian Marghoob Ahmed, MPA Dr. Asad Ashraf, Additional Secretary Health, DCO Lahore, Director General Health, EDO Health Lahore and senior officers of other concerned departments attended the meeting.

The CM said the outbreak of dengue virus was due to the negligence and failure to take timely action on the part of departments concerned as a result of which six precious lives were lost in the province. He also expressed grief over the loss of precious lives due to dengue virus and warned that strict action would be taken against the officials of the concerned departments who failed to take timely measures to check epidemics.

He said if the Health Department and local government had discharged their responsibilities efficiently, this disease would have been controlled. He took strict notice of the spread of dengue virus and said that not only a task force was constituted but members of provincial and national assembly as well as workers were included in the campaign besides public awareness campaign was also promoted through media.

He said the disease was now under control. He directed the health department to prepare a calendar for the eradication of epidemics in the province and submit it to him within two days. He said the health department officers should also take effective measures for curbing epidemics before their outbreak and the calendar, prepared in this regard, should be implemented in a comprehensive manner. He issued instructions to Director General Health to visit the entire province and take solid measures to check outbreak of epidemics. He said carelessness on the part of departments concerned was a criminal negligence.

The Chief Minister also took notice of the parking fee being charged by the contractors at some hospitals and parks and said he had abolished this fee and the concerned departments and police would be responsible for the safety of the vehicles at the parking stands. He said that a clear-cut system should be adopted and if any complaint of charging of parking fee was received, the concerned officials would not be spared.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\12\18\story_18-12-2008_pg12_9

Dengue fever claims one more life

By Tanveer Sher

KARACHI: Dengue fever related deaths in Karachi rose to five on Wednesday, after a victim of the viral disease expired at a local public hospital.

The victim, a 26-year-old woman identified as Khalida, resident of Paposh Nagar, was brought to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital on December 15, as she had been suffering from high fever for the past few days. When she was brought to the hospital, she was bleeding profusely from different parts of her body. Khalida was kept in a special isolated ward, set up specifically for suspected dengue patients and, although, she was provided emergency therapy and supportive treatment, she passed away on Wednesday.

With her death, the total number of fatalities during the current year has risen to five, out of which four were females and one male.

Dr Shakeel Malik, focal person for Dengue in the province, while talking to Daily Times, explained Khalida?s case. ?The victim was suffering from dengue shock syndrome and despite our utmost efforts, she could not survive? he said.

He, however, claimed that, out of the total of five deaths during the current year, three were known to have been caused by dengue fever, while the other two still remain suspected cases. In response to a question, Malik claimed that over the past 11 ? months, a total of 1,412 patients have been admitted to different hospitals of Sindh with complaints of dengue fever but only 561 tested positive.

Dr Malik attributed the low number of fatalities in Sindh, as compared to Punjab and other provinces, to the sustained efforts being made by the provincial health department and the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) for awareness regarding the disease and preventive measures amongst the masses.

 

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Re: PAKISTAN: Dengue fever - news reports

Source: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=82048

PAKISTAN: Hopes that cooler weather will vanquish dengue

LAHORE, 22 December 2008 (IRIN) - As winter temperatures fall to levels that are likely to kill off the dengue-causing aedes aegypti mosquito, the authorities hope the number of cases in Punjab Province will also decline.

Two new cases were reported on 18 December in Lahore, the provincial capital. The authorities have confirmed 1,382 cases in the province, 1,297 of them in Lahore.

Zia-ur-Rehman, director of Communicable Disease Control (CDC), confirmed there had been five deaths due to dengue. "These persons tested positive for dengue. In the cases of another six deaths there was suspicion of dengue, but that was not confirmed," he told IRIN.

Other sources, however, say at least 10 patients may have died. "The authorities are keen to keep the numbers low because they are under pressure from top people in the province to control the situation," said a senior doctor at the government-run Services Hospital in Lahore, who asked not to be named.

Jamal Ahmad, 20, who died at the hospital at the end of November, was the most recent victim. While dengue is in almost all cases a disease that can be effectively treated, most deaths occur when it assumes its more dangerous haemorrhagic form, causing bleeding from body orifices.

"The likelihood of this developing is greater when a person is infected for a second time, with another strain of the disease," said Zaheer Akbar, a practitioner. "Panic about dengue is quite high because at this time of year many people get sick with fever and there is often concern it may be dengue."

According to Zia-ur-Rehman, about 70 people are being treated for dengue in Lahore hospitals. "We must hope the rain now will eliminate dengue," he said.

Rain, usually expected at the start of winter, brings down temperatures and kills off the dengue-causing mosquito. The rains this year have come late.

The striped mosquito transmits dengue when it bites an infected person and then carries the infection to the next person it bites.

Dengue has occurred regularly in the country over the past three years, but winter in northern areas acts to end the cycle of disease that begins each year after the monsoon season, when pools of water offer breeding places.

Medicine

"My husband works as a security guard at a park. There are many mosquitoes there because of the lake. He got bitten last month, developed high fever and severe body pains, and doctors confirmed dengue. He was given some strong medicine, and now he is quite well," said Shahida Jabeen, 25. Her husband, Arshad Mahmood, now uses a home-made mosquito repellent when he goes to work. "The doctor told us to make a paste from the leaves of the neem tree. It is effective and cheap," said Shahida.

Neem (Azadirachta indica), a tree from the mahagony family, is widely believed to have multiple medicinal qualities. Its leaves are used in many herbal preparations and are also the subject of ongoing scientific study.

Increased awareness about dengue and the need to seek early treatment is a factor in keeping the death rate lower this year than in previous years.

kh/at/cb