Health experts fear outbreak of dengue fever

Saturday, July 19, 2008
RAWALPINDI: Health experts have started fearing the outbreak of Dengue fever in town after reports of confirmation of, at least, two cases in Islamabad recently.

Administrations at allied hospitals, however, claimed of being well prepared to deal with any untoward situation due to the spread of Dengue fever despite the fact that two of the teaching hospitals, including Holy Family Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital, do not have bed nets to keep such patients in isolation.

"The report of a Frontier Constabulary soldier lodging in the FC barracks located on Margalla Road in Islamabad as a confirmed case of Dengue fever (on Wednesday) has confirmed the existence of Aedes Aegypti in the federal capital and it shows that the situation may take an alarming turn," said Director Emergency at Rawalpindi General Hospital Dr Muhammad Mujeeb Khan while talking to The News on Friday. Dengue fever and Dengue Hemorrhagic fever are caused by the bite of female mosquito namely Aedes Aegypti.

Dr Mujeeb added that the RGH had sufficient number of bed nets available that could be used in case of spread of infection. The bed nets are used to safeguard un-infected persons from the second biting of a mosquito that had bitten a suspect or confirmed patient of Dengue fever that may cause spread of infection.

Like other health experts, Dr Mujeeb was also of the opinion that spike of the infection this time might be more deadly as a patients second exposure to Dengue virus might cause severe complications. "Public should be more careful and use proper ways and means to avoid mosquito bites," he said adding the outbreak of the infection took place twice within the past two years.

The outbreak of the Dengue fever in Pakistan had triggered a serious alarm some two years back. The spike of the infection started in June 2006 within areas of Sindh and later spread up to the Punjab and to the federal capital. During the 2006 spike that lasted for nearly four months, the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, had tested nearly 3,000 positive cases of Dengue fever. The infection had claimed more than 35 lives, the figure that was reported. However, no data was available regarding unreported deaths due to the fever in the far-flung areas of the country.

To a query, Dr Mujeeb said the RGH had already provided guidelines to junior doctors on treatment of Dengue fever suspects. Treatment of Dengue fever involves no ideal treatment rather supportive treatment is provided to a suspected and as well a confirmed patient of the disease. "There is no vaccine available across the globe for the treatment of Dengue fever and people should avoid going to quacks in case of having symptoms of the infection," he added.

DHQ Hospital chief Dr Khalid Iqbal Malik, when contacted by The News on Friday, said they were prepared to develop an isolation room in its TB Ward in case any suspect of Dengue fever reported at the hospital. To a query, he, however, admitted that no bed nets were available at the DHQ Hospital.

The HFH chief, Dr Syed Abid Husain Shah, also claimed of being well prepared to deal with any emergency in result of spread of Dengue fever in town and added director emergency had taken necessary measures to cope with any untoward situation.

Director Emergency at the HFH Dr Raja Shafiq Sarwar, when contacted, said the confirmation of the FC soldier as a patient of Dengue fever was alarming and soon after confirmation, they had made arrangements for developing isolation room for Dengue fever suspects. "We have decided to screen patients showing any of the symptoms of Dengue fever," he said.