Dengue fever claims six more lives in Punjab, toll jumps to 59 this year

LAHORE: Punjab has reported six deaths and 526 new cases of the mosquito-borne dengue virus disease in the last 24 hours period, ARY News reported on Friday.

According to Provincial health secretary, Imran Sikandar Baloch five out of six recent deaths were reported in Lahore, while fresh 388 cases also emerged in the provincial capital, during the last 24 hours.

Moreover, 34 new cases of the viral disease were detected in Rawalpindi, 11 each in Multan and Gujranwala, nine from Faisalabad, Vehari, eight, Kasur, seven, five new cases from Hafizabad and Sialkot, and four each were reported in Bahawalnagar, Muzaffargarh and Nankana Sahib.

The viral disease has claimed 59 lives in Punjab in this season, said the secretary.

In Punjab so far 16,960 dengue hemorrhagic fever cases have been reported in the current season, Imran Sikandar Baloch shared.

An upsurge of dengue hemorrhagic fever cases has also been reported in federal capital Islamabad and other parts of the country including Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

Dengue fever, also known as breakbone fever, is a mosquito-borne infection that can lead to a severe flu-like illness. It is caused by four different viruses and spread by Aedes mosquitoes.

Symptoms range from mild to severe. Severe symptoms include dengue shock syndrome (DSS) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). These usually require hospitalization.

There are currently no vaccines. The best method of prevention is to avoid mosquito bites. Treatment is possible if diagnosis occurs before the patient develops DSS or DHF.