26 October 2017 – The provincial health department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in Pakistan has reported an additional 12 430 suspected cases of dengue fever and 4 deaths since last week. So far, a cumulative total of 87 250 cases have been reported since 19 July 2017, including 18 892 laboratory-confirmed cases and 58 deaths.
The district Peshawar has reported the highest number of cases, with a current total of 78 844 suspected cases, including 16 991 confirmed cases and 53 deaths.
The Provincial Directorate of Health is coordinating efforts of the Dengue Response Unit in collaboration with WHO. This includes providing technical guidance and support for health workers in the areas of surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, case management and social mobilization.
Awareness sessions have been held for religious leaders, school teachers and head masters to advise the community on dengue causes and prevention. Lady health workers have been engaged to conduct door to door activities for raising awareness of dengue symptoms and ensuring the referral of suspected cases to health facilities. Households in various areas of Peshawar have been sprayed with larvicide (space spraying) and provided health education on dengue prevention.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection that causes a severe flu-like illness, and sometimes causes a potentially lethal complication called severe dengue. The viruses are passed on to humans through the bites of an infective female Aedes mosquito, which acquires the virus while feeding on the blood of an infected person. Dengue is one of the fastest spreading viral infections in the world, and is endemic to Pakistan.
