Dozens die of Dengue fever; 50,000 patients test positive across Pakistan

By Nasir Aijaz
AsiaN Representative

Islamabad: The number of Dengue patients across Pakistan crossed 50,000 on Saturday while dozens have died of the virus in different parts of the country over the past few months.

Karachi, the southern coastal city and capital of Sindh province and the twin cities – Rawalpindi of Punjab province and federal capital Islamabad- are the worst hit areas. Several casualties remain unreported, as in many the dengue patients die before reaching to hospital.

Health officials estimate that at least 25,000 people in the twin cities have tested positive for the Dengue virus recently. In the two big hospitals of Islamabad, some 8,000 Dengue cases have been identified, local media reported.

Health department officials have confirmed at least 35 deaths from the dengue virus in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. On Friday, another death was reported from the Morgah area of the Rawalpindi city.

Reports suggest that at least 750 Dengue patients are currently undergoing treatment at different hospitals in the twin cities.

At least 150 law enforcement officials have also fallen victim to the virus. Authorities are not revealing the correct figures out of fear of a backlash by the general public.

Last week, two people died of Dengue in Karachi, taking the death toll of people dying from the deadly disease to 14 in the metropolis.

Hundreds of patients are under treatment at private and public sector hospitals of Karachi. The patients are facing hardships, as despite the city of over twenty million people, it has very few blood banks, provide platelet kits that too after offering the blood donations.

The dengue is one of the world´s leading mosquito-borne illnesses and infects tens of millions across the globe annually.