ISLAMABAD: Dengue cases in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi city have climbed to 1,072, with 23 new infections recorded in the last 24 hours.
According to the District Health Authority, 41 patients suspected of carrying the virus are currently under treatment in hospitals across the city.
Since January 1, authorities have inspected over 5.7 million homes in Rawalpindi, detecting dengue larvae in more than 182,000 of them. Additionally, 1.6 million other locations were checked, with 25,089 testing positive for larvae. In total, dengue larvae were found and eliminated at 278,848 sites.
To enforce dengue prevention measures, officials have registered 4,551 First Information Reports (FIRs) for violations of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). As part of the crackdown, 1,862 buildings have been sealed, around 3,500 challans issued, and fines totaling Rs150,000 imposed.
The Health Department has ramped up preventive efforts in designated dengue hotspot areas.
So far this year, 16,345 people have been screened for the virus, with 1,072 confirmed dengue cases.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne illness transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. There is currently no specific cure or vaccine for dengue fever.
In severe cases, the disease can be life-threatening. Infected individuals often experience intense flu-like symptoms, including high fever, severe headaches, muscle and joint pain, as well as nausea and vomiting. These symptoms usually last for about a week.
Dense populations in cities aggravate the spread of dengue fever, which is usually more common in the monsoon season from June to September.
Increasing temperatures and longer monsoons, both linked to climate change, have provided favourable conditions for mosquito breeding, driving the rapid increase in the virus.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says dengue has emerged as the most widespread and rapidly increasing vector-borne disease in the world.
