ISLAMABAD: as many as 75 cases of dengue virus were reported in Islamabad during the past 24 hours, taking the total number of confirmed infections to 734, the Ministry of National Health Services said on Tuesday.
According to statistics issued by the District Health Office (DHO) Islamabad, some 75 infections were reported, saying that one of the most severe outbreaks of the disease in the region is looming large.
Meanwhile, the DHO stated the dengue virus also claimed one life in the capital during the same period. The deceased was a resident of Tarlai, the office added.
Following the detection of 750 cases in the past 24 hours, the total number of confirmed infections has reached 743, the DHO added.
Cases of dengue, a virus transmitted by mosquitoes, typically increase in the summer months between January and March, when mosquito activity is at a peak. The numbers of dengue cases tend to gradually decrease toward the end of March.
Also known as “breakbone fever” because of the severe pain it can cause, dengue is the fastest spreading tropical disease in the world. The viral infection is transmitted to humans through the bites of female Aedes mosquitoes, which thrive in tropical and subtropical urban areas.
As devastating floods rip through Pakistan impacting more than 33 million people, the threat of dengue lies round the corner. Public health experts are warning of the rising risk of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue spreading across the country.
Pakistan has already been grappling with increasing dengue cases and the unusually early and heavy monsoon rains this year have provided favourable conditions for mosquitoes to breed in.
