Islamabad has reported 14 cases of dengue fever, while authorities have identified dengue mosquito larvae at 604 locations across the city. This comes as efforts intensify to contain the virus's further spread.
Dengue is a vector-borne illness transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. Currently, there is no cure or vaccine for dengue fever, and in its most severe form, it can be fatal. Those affected by dengue experience intense flu-like symptoms, including high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, and nausea and vomiting, typically lasting about a week.
In June, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi ordered strict enforcement of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to combat the virus after nine cases were reported in Islamabad ahead of the monsoon season.
“The Islamabad Capital Territory administration is ramping up efforts to control the spread of dengue after 14 cases were reported,” the state-run APP news agency reported on Monday.
Of the 604 locations in Islamabad where larvae were detected, 174 were in rural areas, and 430 were in urban centers, according to the report. Authorities have taken action against businesses and construction sites where larvae were found, leading to the arrest of several individuals for not complying with the dengue SOPs.
Dengue fever is endemic in Pakistan, with year-round transmission and seasonal peaks. The country's first dengue-related death of the year was reported on June 3 in the southern Sindh province.
An advisory from Pakistan's National Institute of Health in 2023 reported that 52,929 cases and 224 deaths from dengue occurred in 2021, while 2022 saw approximately 79,007 confirmed cases and 149 deaths, with a surge in cases following unprecedented flooding that began in mid-June 2022. In 2023, Pakistan has reported 3,019 suspected cases and 8 deaths from dengue.
Globally, the virus is on the rise, exacerbated by climate change. In just the first six months of this year, countries in the Americas have already set new calendar-year records for dengue cases. Last December, the World Health Organization declared an emergency, and Puerto Rico declared a public health emergency in March.
