Govt to kick off anti-mosquito spray campaign

LAHORE: The government on Monday to kick off anti-mosquito spray campaign throughout Pakistan to prevent the growing number of illnesses from dengue.

The initiative has been taken by provincial health departments and city district councils. Over 58,580 houses and 9,791 outdoor locations were inspected in Lahore. Larvae were found in 800 places.

Fumigation will be done at all airports in Pakistan, specifically in waiting lounges, runways, boarding rooms and cargos.

At least 25 cases were registered against Punjab hospitals under sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Section 269 is punishable with an imprisonment of two years and Section 270 with imprisonment of six months.

In September, 194 cases, the maximum number of cases, were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including 88 from Peshawar. In Punjab, 95 cases were reported, including 82 in Rawalpindi, and 81 have been reported in Islamabad. Of the 36 cases reported in Sindh, 35 are from Karachi.

Also read: Dengue becomes life-threatening disease in Punjab

16 people have died of dengue in the country this year, according to the latest field data from the Emergency Operations Centre in Islamabad.

The surveillance report has declared the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi the worst affected with 163 cases recorded in the last 24 hours.

The dengue fever was a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Its symptoms begin 3 to 14 days after infection and may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains. It can also be associated with characteristic skin rash. In worst condition, there could be bleeding from gums, nose, mouth, ears and other parts of the body.