Thursday, December 11, 2008

Chances of increase in dengue fever cases after rains’

There are chances of an increase in the number of dengue fever cases after the recent rains, Dr Qaiser Sajjad, the former general secretary of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Karachi, said on Monday.He said that dengue could become an epidemic if proper measures were not taken to prevent the disease.
Sindh Additional Secretary Health Captain Majid said, however, that the trend over the past four years shows that dengue cases are reported till November in Karachi and new cases are not reported after the cold wave in December.Dengue Haemorrhagic Shock (DHS) was much more lethal than dengue fever, Dr Sajjad said. The former is life threatening because it erodes the number of platelets to an alarming level.
The former PMA general secretary said that DHS is caused when dengue-carrying mosquitoes bite the same person for the second time.The prevalence of the disease is more due to the improper drainage system in the city, he said, adding that this allows water to accumulate at many places.If water could not be removed, chemicals or oil should be sprayed on it, Dr Sajjad said.Anti-mosquito sprays should also be carried out, even inside trains, buses and planes to ensure extermination of mosquitoes to stop their spread in any part of the city and country.
Meanwhile, Captain Majid said that fumigation was the duty of the City District Government Karachi (CDGK), and there is no harm in carrying out another round of fumigation after the rain. EDO Health Dr A.D. Sajnani could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

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