Kohat records 2,659 dengue cases as KP reports 120 new infections

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 120 new dengue cases in the last 24 hours, taking the provincial tally to 4,219, according to the provincial health department.

Kohat remains the worst-affected district, with 2,659 cases, followed by Peshawar with 573, the latest figures show.

Other affected districts include Bannu, Khyber, Haripur, Charsadda, Abbottabad, Nowshera, Karak, Mansehra, Dera Ismail Khan, Swabi and Mohmand. Cases have also been reported in several other districts, according to earlier provincial surveillance reports.

The health department has declared a dengue outbreak in Kohat, where the sharp rise in infections has prompted intensified prevention efforts. Peshawar has also been identified as a high-risk district.

Dengue cases have also been reported elsewhere in the country. Islamabad recorded 47 cases between January 1 and October 18, while Punjab reported infections in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Chakwal, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan and several other districts in September.

National Institutes of Health surveillance data has also recorded suspected dengue cases in Sindh, alongside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad. However, national figures may not provide a complete picture because reporting coverage and periods vary across jurisdictions.

Health authorities have urged the public to eliminate stagnant water and potential mosquito-breeding sites to help prevent further transmission.

Earlier it was reported that Bangladesh is considering carrying out clinical trials of a vaccine against dengue fever after thousands of patients have been hospitalised with the disease and hundreds had died.

More than 90,350 people have been hospitalised with dengue and 281 have died since the beginning of the year, according to health ministry data.