THE deadly dengue virus, which created scare among the masses in Punjab in general and Lahore in particular appears to be subsiding and with winter season approaching, it would die its natural death. According to reports, Sunday was the happier day for the people of Lahore when no patient lost his/her life against the deadly virus but it is natural that there may still be some deaths as thousands of people are still admitted in hospitals.
Dengue fever, also known as break bone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles. In a small proportion of cases the disease develops into the life threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever resulting in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood plasma leakage where dangerously low blood pressure occurs. Though according to medical experts, it is a curable disease, yet it led to sounding of alarm bells in Lahore where it affected about 500 people daily and claimed nine to ten lives in a day. What was more worrisome that thousands of people, suffering from normal fever, lined up at hospitals for tests and that put additional burden on the doctors and paramedical staff. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took personal interest by visiting hospitals and holding daily meetings to control the disease. Awareness campaign was also launched and the latest law “Punjab prevention and control of Dengue Regulations, 2011” is a welcome step. Though mosquitoes die during winter and one expects that the virus would be over next month, yet we should not forget that the Dengue has gone but may revisit in 2012 and to prevent that we may prepare a strategy in advance. Since there is no vaccine, the only method of controlling or preventing dengue virus transmission is to combat the vector mosquitoes.
Dengue fever, also known as break bone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles. In a small proportion of cases the disease develops into the life threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever resulting in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood plasma leakage where dangerously low blood pressure occurs. Though according to medical experts, it is a curable disease, yet it led to sounding of alarm bells in Lahore where it affected about 500 people daily and claimed nine to ten lives in a day. What was more worrisome that thousands of people, suffering from normal fever, lined up at hospitals for tests and that put additional burden on the doctors and paramedical staff. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took personal interest by visiting hospitals and holding daily meetings to control the disease. Awareness campaign was also launched and the latest law “Punjab prevention and control of Dengue Regulations, 2011” is a welcome step. Though mosquitoes die during winter and one expects that the virus would be over next month, yet we should not forget that the Dengue has gone but may revisit in 2012 and to prevent that we may prepare a strategy in advance. Since there is no vaccine, the only method of controlling or preventing dengue virus transmission is to combat the vector mosquitoes.
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