Lahore at high risk of dengue outbreak: Yasmin Rashid

• Yasmin Rashid warns that rainfall increases the threat of the spread of dengue larvae.
• On the fake coronavirus vaccine entry in the name of Nawaz Sharif, health minister terms the matter a "conspiracy".
• The first death of the current year from dengue fever was reported from Abbottabad on Friday.

LAHORE: Minister for Health Punjab Dr Yasmin Rashid on Saturday warned that the highest risk of dengue in the province is in Lahore.

Rashid said that evidence of dengue larvae has been found in 71,000 households, the number of dengue patients in DHA is high, and rainfall increases the threat of dengue larvae spread.

At least 181 cases of dengue were reported from across Punjab during the last 24 hours and of these 131 cases were reported from Lahore alone.

She said that separate counters have been set up at government hospitals for dengue patients.

Shedding light on the fake coronavirus vaccine entry in the name of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the health minister termed the matter a "big conspiracy".

The health minister said that the authorities were probing the matter and claimed that 9,000 fake entries were made just like Nawaz's.

It is pertinent to mention here that Punjab Minister for Disaster Management Mian Khalid Mehmood had on Friday directed the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to ensure early preparations for controlling the spread of dengue.

Presiding over a review meeting of the PDMA's measures to prevent dengue, he said that the current weather conditions could lead to an increase in dengue fever and the period from mid-September to early December after the monsoon was typically favourable for dengue.

The minister said that normal hours of dengue attacks were recorded two hours before sunrise and two hours after sunset.

"We must take precautionary measures against dengue during these times and ensure control over all stimuli that may lead to an increase in dengue growth," Mehmood added.

He also mentioned that according to the meteorological department, there was a possibility of a rapid increase in dengue growth in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan during October-November due to which dengue fever outbreak in these areas can intensify.

Rawalpindi

As many as 501 confirmed dengue fever cases have been reported so far in the district out of which 423 were discharged after recovery while 78 patients having positive results were admitted in Allied hospitals of the city.

The Holy Family Hospital (HFH) has registered 342 dengue fever suspects, Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) registered 115, District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ) registered 43 while one suspect was registered with Fauji Foundation Hospital.

Peshawar

The first death of the current year from dengue fever was reported from Abbottabad on Friday. According to the health department, a woman from Mansehra died of the ailment at the hospital.

The health department report on the dengue situation said the death of a woman from Mansehra at Abbottabad hospital was the first in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from dengue fever during the current year.

According to the report, 178 new cases of dengue fever were reported from the province during the last 24 hours.

From Peshawar and Nowshera 41 cases of dengue fever were reported each, while from Mardan 37 were reported, from Buner 12 and eight each from Swabi and Khyber district.

The report noted that dengue prevalence was reported from 38 districts of the province adding that 12 localities of the provincial metropolis were declared as hotspots for the presence of dengue.