Pakistan: Dengue fever death toll rising quickly, 59 dead and 8,000 cases

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Pakistan: Dengue fever death toll rising quickly, 59 dead and 8,000 cases

2011-09-22 11:01:50 GMT+7 (ICT)

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- The death toll as a result of Pakistan's dengue fever outbreak continues to rise quickly as 59 people have now been confirmed dead, officials said on Wednesday.

Nine more victims died on Wednesday and over 1,000 patients have been diagnosed with the virus in the past two days, medical officials told the Express Tribune. The ongoing outbreak is mostly affecting Pakistan's eastern province of Punjab and its capital, Lahore, which registered these latest deaths. Some 8,000 cases in total have been reported.

The outbreak is bringing increasing fear in both residents and medical teams. While locals continue to overflow at local hospitals and clinics to get their complete blood count tests, the virus seems to be affecting people at a constant rate. Usually, the dengue virus is most active during the initial phases of the outbreak, but the situation has not followed the typical epidemic cycle and is not weakening.

Furthermore, Sri Lankan specialists who have arrived in Pakistan to help fight the outbreak informed that the virus has contaminated hospitals in Lahore, increasing the number of victims.

Government officials have called for a cleaning drive in which puddles would be removed from the city streets, and early detection tests to be carried out among Lahore's residents. However, these measures have not been carried out as of Wednesday.

Last week, Punjab provincial government officials announced that elementary, high schools, and colleges would be shut down for 10 days as officials reorganize their health measures to avoid further spreading of the epidemic. In addition, the schools were ordered to carry out fumigation at the schools during these days.

However, some 500 schools have been issued show-cause notices for not fumigating their school grounds despite government orders. Furthermore, officials warned school administrators that strict action would be taken against them if they do not comply with the orders.

The announcement of the school shut downs has been received with mixed reactions, as some expressed concerns whether the school syllabus would be completed on time.

On Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister said only schools that have adequately carried out the instructed safety measures would be reopened. The committees in charge of overlooking the fumigation and health measures would issue certificates to these schools, allowing them to reopen.

Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said the fumigation operations will be carried out with insecticides imported from India in order to prevent the further spreading of the outbreak.

Previously, the Punjab government was accused of criminal negligence for not being transparent about the outbreak. Advocate Noshab A Khan said that the outbreak had worsened because it had not been properly controlled during the early stages and the fumigation campaign had been of poor quality.

Dengue spreads more often after the rainy season when stagnant water on the streets may activate the breed of mosquitoes, causing dengue fever. Heavy monsoon rains in southeastern Pakistan have so far claimed the lives of some 300 people and displaced millions more.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-09-22