Experts worry that the sixth wave of Covid-19 may act as a catalyst for the disease's spread.
KARACHI: The return of dengue, a zoonotic foe that pays the city a visit every monsoon, has been faced with Karachi while still navigating the looming danger of a sixth coronavirus wave. The season's downpour left standing water, which has provided the perfect breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes.
Medical professionals have suggested strong precautionary measures to keep both viruses at bay since they are concerned that this time the sickness may spread more quickly in the wake of Covid-19. Dengue virus is known to still pose a threat in the port city from July to November. One of these is a government-led fumigation of the entire city to eradicate breeding mosquitoes and their eggs before they may infest the area.
Professor Saeed Khan, a molecular pathologist at Dow University, predicts that if the fumigation is not done immediately, malaria cases, another illness spread by mosquitoes, could rise as well. "But dengue, which is primarily brought on by the female Aedes Aegypti mosquito, is currently the most pressing menace. The mosquito needs blood to survive, and its eggs hatch in moist soil. The disease is spread when a female mosquito of this species bites a person, he explained.
The doctor says that severe bodily aches may be the first sign of dengue, followed by fever, pain in the bones and joints, and vomiting. When a patient has a severe case of dengue, their body frequently loses platelets, which causes them to bleed from their lips and other places. In this situation, platelet transfusion is required to save the patient's life. Self-medication and unnecessary antibiotic use, however, might be detrimental to dengue virus-infected individuals.
Pakistan has experienced repeated dengue fever nightmares since 2010. In this regard, the Department of Health has also released a report on those who have contracted and died from the dengue virus, which claims that in Sindh, including Karachi, 911 dengue cases have been confirmed, including three fatalities. 4,318 instances were reported in 2020, with 3 fatalities. 2019 saw 1,6925 cases reported, and 46 of those cases resulted in fatalities. 2,088 instances were reported in 2018; two people died. 12, out of the 2,927 verified cases in 2017, were fatal. 2,418 instances were reported in 2016, with three fatalities. 3,562 cases and 11 fatalities were reported in 2015.
In 2013, 5,970 instances were confirmed, with 32 deaths, whereas 1,295 cases were confirmed in 2014, with 17 deaths. Similar to 2012, 5,970 persons contracted dengue in 2013; 32 of them passed away. Dengue afflicted 734 persons in 2012, and four of them passed away. Dengue was reported to have infected 1,079 patients in 2011, 18 of whom passed away, and 4,072 cases in 2010, 25 of whom perished.
Of the 911 people who caught dengue last year, the research states that 215 were from Karachi Central, 203 were from District East, 154 were from District South, 156 were from District West, 75 were from Korangi District, and 23 were from Malir District. This year, a similar pattern might be observed in terms of which Central district will need the greatest work to prevent the spread of dengue.
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