KP reports 71 new dengue cases in 24 hours

PESHAWAR: At least 71 new dengue cases have been confirmed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) over the past 24 hours, according to a report issued by the Directorate General Health Services’ Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response System (IDSRS).

The report stated that 27 new patients were admitted to different hospitals, taking the total number of dengue patients currently under treatment to 48.

So far this year, 3,582 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported across the province. Of these, 1,474 patients were hospitalised, 3,314 have recovered, while two deaths have been reported.

Provincial medical entomologist for the Dengue Control Programme Salahuddin Khan Marwat told Dawn that climate change is a major factor behind the disease spreading to new areas.

“The current weather — consistent humidity, monsoon rains, and temperatures between 18°C and 25°C — provides an ideal environment for mosquito breeding,” Marwat said, explaining that this is why dengue cases often spike in October. “Very high or very low temperatures slow down mosquito reproduction,” he added.

He noted that in the past, dengue was mostly confined to districts such as Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Haripur, and Abbottabad, but cases are now also being reported in Chitral. Marwat attributed this expansion to global warming and increased travel.

The entomologist said the provincial government has allocated 1,500 to 1,600 beds for dengue patients across all districts as a preventive measure against a potential outbreak. Around 400,000 test kits have also been distributed to district health offices based on their requirements.

However, he cautioned against the indiscriminate use of insecticides, warning that such sprays could kill beneficial insects like bees, butterflies, and fireflies, and lead to pesticide resistance. “Globally, emphasis is placed on environmental cleanliness and eliminating mosquito breeding sites, rather than excessive spraying,” he said.

Marwat emphasised the need for public cooperation to control the disease. “There are about 200,000 houses in Peshawar. If each household spends just 20 minutes cleaning water containers and their surroundings, we can clean the entire city in a single day,” he suggested.

He added that awareness campaigns, school programmes, and the government’s dengue action plan are ongoing, but community participation remains the biggest challenge.

Islamabad reports 34 new dengue cases

Meanwhile, as many as 34 new dengue cases were reported in Islamabad over the past 24 hours, taking the number of patients under treatment in various hospitals across the city to 66, according to the latest official report.