The rising number of cases of dengue fever in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa indicate that a scourge thought to have been brought under control, is once again resurgent, and that too in the midst of a covid-19 pandemic. The increase in cases illustrates the danger of ignoring existing viral threats while combating covid-19. Dengue is not transmitted by human infection, but its vector is the aedes aegypti mosquito, and because its breeding-grounds are bodies of water, it becomes particularly dangerous when the monsoon is ending.
Though hospitals play a major role in treating patients, there is not much they can do beyond manage the symptoms. The real treatment is prevention, which is done by combating the vector. That was not done. The bodies of stagnant water left by the monsoons were not handled; there were none of the careful anti-larvae campaigns of the past. The PTI has proved a particular failure at this, for the highest rise is in provinces it rules. However, this is a considerable public health hazard, and there have been over 800 deaths upto 2019.
The aversion of dengue epidemics depends on hard work and persistence by the government. There is no shortcut to consistent effort. The covid-19 epidemic is a complicating factor, but it is no excuse for ignoring other problems. Dengue infections may not be transmitted by humans, but there may have to be special wards set up, and patients have to be isolated. In hospitals already under strain from the needs of covid-19 patients, it is that much harder to make special arrangements for dengue patients. That will lead to more deaths from both diseases. There is also the danger of cross-infection. Covid-19 infections may prove fatal for both dengue patients and convalescents. The danger of becoming single-minded about covid-19 is well illustrated by the way dengue has unexpectedly reared its head. Dengue had gone nowhere, it was merely ignored. Polio may be getting the same treatment; and it is essential that the vaccination campaign against it should not have any let-up. The real enemy, in the case of all three viral diseases is complacency rather than the illnesses themselves.
