Rise In Dengue Cases: Health Experts Warn Against Self-medication

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Sep, 2019 ) :Medical practitioners on Sunday advised the residents of Federal capital to avoid self-medication in case of having dengue symptoms of fever, body aches, joint pain and vomiting.

According to spokesman Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Dr Wasim Khawaja, rather taking medicines at home in case of dengue like symptoms, patients should consult to the doctors and they should not get panicky on dengue.

He said that the disease is a recoverable and patients get relief with the passage of time. He added there is no need to create any panic if someone gets dengue virus.

He said that the hospital is on alert mode for the disease and so far blood tests of 3,500 suspected dengue patients have been done and sent to the laboratory. He added the hospital has adequate medicines and kits for blood tests.

He said that the hospital has received so far 1750 confirmed dengue patients at its outpatient departments (OPDs) during prevailing high-risk season of mosquito-borne disease.

He added 40 patients are still admitted in the hospital and receiving medical treatment. He added isolation room has been allocated for dengue patients at PIMS.

He said that the symptoms of dengue are persistently high fever, rashes, headache and pain in the joints. In the acute cases the platelets number decrease drastically which could prove fatal for the patient.

He said that infants and young children may have a non-specific febrile illness with a rash as older children and adults may have either a mild febrile syndrome or the classical incapacitating disease with an abrupt onset and high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains and rash.

He said that mosquitoes breed primarily in containers like earthenware jars, metal drums and concrete cisterns used for domestic water storage, as well as discarded plastic food containers, used automobile tyres and other items that collect rain water.

Dr Khawaja advised the citizens to remain vigilant to condense the spread of dengue virus. He said that dengue fever is a severe, flu-like illness that affects infants, children and adults.

He said that dengue is a mosquito-borne infection, which in recent years has become a major public health concern. He added the spread of dengue is attributed to expanding geographic distribution of the four dengue viruses and of their mosquito vectors, the most important of which is the predominantly urban species Aedes Aegypti.

He said that the rapid growth of urban population is bringing ever greater numbers of people into contact with this vector, especially in areas that are favorable for mosquito breeding like in places where household water storage is common and where solid waste disposal services are inadequate.

When contacted an official from the Ministry of National Health Services said that the teams of the health department are active in all parts of the capital. These teams are working in source reduction of the disease and are educating people about preventive measures they should take to combat the disease.

He said that the health workers are visiting households and covered a large population. These teams have found larvae of dengue spreading mosquito in some households.

He said that people should ensure that the breeding places of mosquitoes inside their homes and vicinity are destroyed.

He said that the virus of dengue is continuing to hit the residents of federal capital, however, the mobile teams have started activities in affected areas like fogging and spraying chemicals to destroy mosquito larvae.

He said that the residents have been asked to take special preventive measures such as better water storage practices, usage of meshes and nets at doors, windows, appropriate clothing that covers the whole body to prevent mosquito bites and emptying debris and flower pots that holds water.

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