Dengue Cases Rise Again in KP as Weekly Infections Reach Highest Level in 34 Weeks

PESHAWAR: Dengue cases have increased again in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with 98 people testing positive for the virus over the past week, marking the highest weekly tally recorded in the province in the last 34 weeks.

According to data released by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department, 98 dengue cases were reported between August 27 and September 3, compared with 87 cases during the preceding week.

Kohat recorded the highest number of new cases, with 41 infections reported during the week, followed by Peshawar with 33 and Bannu with 10. The number of cases in other districts remained below 10.

During the current dengue season, Peshawar has reported the highest overall number of cases in the province, with 220 infections, followed closely by Kohat with 209.

Bannu has reported 52 cases so far, while Haripur has recorded 26 and Dera Ismail Khan 11. Bajaur, Swabi and Swat have reported 10 cases each, while Charsadda has recorded nine. Nowshera and Mohmand have reported eight cases each.

The number of reported dengue fever cases varies from one to seven in the remaining 24 districts.

It is reported that so far 3,487 patients have been screened for dengue fever in various hospitals in the province out of which 581 patients have been found positive for the disease.

Dengue Larvae Found in 11 Districts

Dengue breeding sites were found in 11 districts, which include Charsadda, Malakand, Khyber, Nowshera, Peshawar, Mansehra, Haripur, Kohat, Swabi, and Hangu.

Mechanical and chemical methods were used for elimination of dengue larvae at breeding sites.

The Health Department has also intensified public awareness campaigns across different parts of the province as the dengue transmission season continues.

So far, 59,267 community awareness sessions have been conducted, with significant participation from both men and women. Officials said people who attended training sessions, seminars and awareness walks are now helping spread information in their communities.

Particular attention is being given to educating women about the health risks associated with storing water in uncovered containers, which can provide breeding grounds for dengue mosquitoes.

More Than 211,000 Houses Inspected

Health officials have inspected 211,206 houses in search of dengue mosquito larvae.

Larvae were detected and eliminated at 529 houses, while officials also inspected 779,318 water containers. Dengue larvae were found in 934 of those containers and subsequently destroyed.

Chemical spraying has also been carried out at 286 outdoor locations where mosquito larvae were detected.

Peshawar Remains a Dengue Hotspot

Peshawar has remained a major centre of dengue transmission in the province and has experienced several significant outbreaks in the past.

In 2017, a severe dengue outbreak affected Peshawar and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in 70 deaths, while around 50,000 people sought treatment at hospitals.

During the same period last year, more than 1,000 dengue cases and four deaths were reported in the province.

However, the number of cases recorded so far this year remains lower than last year, and no dengue-related death has been reported in the province so far this season.

The Health Department said the current dengue transmission season is continuing at a high intensity and is expected to remain active until the end of October.

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