KARACHI (Kashmir English): Province of Sindh has reported 439 cases of dengue in October so far, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the running year to 1,083.
The Sindh Health Department in its latest report further revealed that Karachi remained atop in October with 188 such cases.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, and remains a recurring health concern in the country, especially Sindh, particularly during the monsoon season when stagnant water and poor sanitation accelerate its spread.
The illness causes high fever and, in severe cases, can lead to life-threatening complications.
While the provincial health department puts the total number of dengue cases in the province this year at 1,083, figures obtained from September 1 to October 16 from three major Karachi hospitals and a public sector laboratory with branches in Hyderabad suggested an outbreak-like situation.
A statement issued by the Health Department, quoting Sindh Minister for Health and Population Welfare Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, said, “Karachi Division remains the most affected, with 188 cases reported this month, followed by Hyderabad Division with 154, Mirpurkhas 83, Sukkur 10, Shaheed Benazirabad three, and Larkana Division with one case.”
Dr Pechuho clarified that the Health Department maintained complete records of all confirmed dengue cases shared by the government hospitals.
She urged the public not to believe unverified information or rumours circulating on social media, adding that data of all patients admitted to hospitals or treated in Outdoor Patient Departments (OPDs) is properly maintained by the department.
Anti-dengue measures, including fumigation, spraying, and drainage improvement, have been intensified in all districts, the statement quoted her as saying.
Dengue situation in Karachi
Last week, figures collected from three hospitals in Karachi — Indus Hospital (IH), Liaquat National Hospital (LNH) and the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Centre (SIDHRC) — showed that a total of 2,972 cases of dengue were reported from Sept 1 to Oct 16.
The fourth hospital — the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre — alone recorded 1,062 dengue cases from July to date.
The situation was no different at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) where a high number of dengue cases were reported.
Hyderabad was also facing an alarming situation as the figures obtained from the Diagnostic and Research Laboratory (DRL) of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro, and its branches showed 9,075 dengue confirmed cases from Sept 1 to Oct 14.
