PESHAWAR: At least 15 patients of dengue haemorrhagic fever have been detected in Sarband village of Peshawar in the last 10 days, according to doctors.

The village is among Achini, Tehkal and other localities which face frequent dengue outbreak with the onset of summer every year.

One of the female patients was admitted at Khyber Teaching Hospital on July 8 with complaints of bloody vomiting, headache and fever for the last one week. She was investigated and was tested NS1 positive, according to report issued by manager hospital record.

Health dept urged to take emergency measures

People in Sarband village have been visiting private clinics where some of the people with dengue-like symptoms were subjected to investigations and some tested positive and were sent to hospitals.

Five of the patients are women.

Officials said the nearest villages of Sarband, including Mohammedi, Achini etc were also at risk due to presence of all causative agents of the ailment. The disease infected over 10,000 people and caused 70 deaths last year and could prove dangerous this year too, they said.

Dr Ikramullah who received suspected patients in Sarband village told Dawn that he had informed the district health office to take preventive measures in the area. According to him, the people told him that a team of district administration had also visited the area.

The patients had history of symptoms, including fever, generalised body pain and nausea, he said. “I have examined at least 15 patients and the number is increasing,” he said. During past 10 days, patients with dengue symptoms visited our clinic and we informed the department concerned, Dr Ikram said.

Experts said the health department should take emergency measures to prevent the outbreak of disease. The disease was emerging at the last year’s pattern, when the patients started coming in one and twos and then in dozens for treatment, they said.

Evaluation of dengue crisis and undertaking activities are required prior to snowballing of the epidemic into major public health issue, they said.

Authorities claimed that they had eliminated larva found inside houses in Tehkal village and were asking the people to adopt preventive measures. By doing away with open water pots in houses we could control dengue, they said.

The responsibility to control dengue lies not only with the health department but also the municipal authorities and water and sanitation and electricity departments.

The prevention of the mosquito-borne disease, required public motivation to keep their neighborhoods free of stagnant pools of water and taking steps to ensure avoidance of water accumulation in old tyres which is one of the main reasons of the spread of disease in Peshawar, expert said.

World Health Organization says 3,000 automobile workshops exist in Tehkal which are sanctuaries for dengue-causing mosquitoes.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2019