Upsurge in Dengue fever incidence in Karachi

KARACHI: In the past twenty-four hours, at least 336 new dengue cases have arisen in the province of Sindh, including 264 in the Karachi division alone.

From January 1 to October 3, 2022, the Vector-Borne Diseases (VBD) Department of Directorate General Health Services Sindh documented 11,142 dengue cases throughout the province, of which 9,240 were registered in Karachi.

So far, dengue-related problems have claimed the lives of 38 persons in Sindh, with 17 deaths documented in Karachi Central, 10 in Karachi East, 3 in Karachi South, 2 each in Malir, Korangi, and Karachi West, and 1 each in Hyderabad and Umerkot.

In October, 988 Sindh province residents tested positive for dengue virus, of which 760 were discovered in Karachi.

Karachi East has recorded 3,144 instances so far this year, followed by Karachi Central with 2,111, Karachi South with 1,407, Korangi with 1,382, Malir with 582, and Hyderabad with 939.

The dengue virus is a mosquito-borne tropical illness that causes dengue fever. Post-rainy season is ideal for the spread of the infection and the proliferation of the mosquito that causes dengue fever, Aedes aegypti.