Danger of dengue outbreak looms large

RAWALPINDI: Nearly all of the risk factors for dengue fever are present in Rawalpindi, and six confirmed cases of the disease have already been recorded from the Rawalpindi district, raising the possibility of an epidemic.

The dengue fever vector, Aedes aegypti, and Aedes albopictus are being found in large quantities in both outdoor and residential areas, and two of the six confirmed cases of the infection have been recorded from Rawalpindi in the previous two weeks.

Data that is collected reveals that so far, the maximum number of larvae of ‘aedes’ mosquitoes from inside houses has been detected from areas falling under the jurisdiction of Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi while the maximum number of larvae in outdoor areas have so far been reported in Potohar Town, peri-urban areas.

Dr. Sajjad Mehmood, the district coordinator for epidemic prevention and control, reports that the District Health Authority Rawalpindi teams have been actively conducting a campaign to identify and eradicate dengue fever vector larvae. As of right now, the majority of these larvae have been found in the areas covered by Municipal Corporations, the Potohar region, Rawalpindi, and Chaklala Cantonment Boards.

According to data, the district health department’s teams have discovered dengue fever vector larvae from as many as 3924 homes and 909 locations so far this year.

Alarming is the fact that the number of larvae so far detected this year is much higher as compared to the larvae detected in the last two years till this point in time which certainly hints that a more severe outbreak of dengue fever can not be ruled out this year, in the coming weeks or months.

Read More: 4 dengue cases diagnosed in Rawalpindi

Data shows that as of May 13 of this year, 4833 locations, including homes in the Rawalpindi area, have been identified to harbor “Aedes” mosquito larvae. In contrast, 4051 locations were found to harbor larvae in 2022 up to this date, and 4132 locations in 2023.

The district’s confirmed dengue fever cases must demonstrate the presence of mature “aedes” mosquitoes in large numbers, suggesting a potential epidemic of the illness in the days ahead. Many medical professionals believe that to stop the dengue virus from spreading over the area, people need to act now. According to experts, the public has to be made aware that dengue fever is contracted by the bite of an infected female “Aedes” mosquito, and that eliminating the mosquito population is essential to stop the infection’s spread.

The fact that “Aedes aegypti” breeds and remains on clean water containers like barrels, buckets, drums, tanks, flower vases, water coolers, abandoned tires, toilet bowls, and other similar locations—including those where rainwater collects—must be mentioned here. Families and individuals should empty any water containers and refrain from collecting water outside in any part of the home in order to stop the infection from spreading.