Rawalpindi: 35 new cases of dengue surfaces

Dunya News

Number of total dengue cases this year reaches 2500

RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – The number of dengue patients in Rawalpindi reached 35 on Thursday. A total of 2500 dengue fever cases have been recorded this year.

22 years old Naeem who was admitted in Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi, also died on Thursday. Before Naeem, 8 other patients of dengue have been killed by the fatal fever. Most dengue cases are surfacing from the Cantonment , Chaklala Board, Rawal and Pothohar Town areas of Rawalpindi.

Dengue virus is a disease caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by mosquitos. It is an acute illness of sudden onset that usually follows other symptoms such as headache, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joints pain, swollen glands and rash. Other signs of dengue fever include bleeding gums, severe pain in eyes muscles and red palms and soles.

Dengue stricken people with low level of immunity because it is caused by one of four serotypes of virus, it is possible to get infected by dengue multiple times. However, an attack of of dengue produces immunity for a lifetime to that particular serotype to which the patient was exposed.

The virus is contracted from the bite of a stripped Aedes aegypti mosquito that has previously bitten an infected person. The mosquito flourishes during rainy seasons but can breed in water-filled flower pots, plastic bags and cans, any time of the year because it survives in clean water. A single bite of the mosquito can be enough to infect a person.

The virus is not contagious and cannot be spread directly from one person to the other. There must be a person-to-mosquito-to-another-person pathway.

A comprehensive anti-dengue campaign is being run to prevent the dengue virus from spreading in Rawalpindi division.