79 new cases of dengue reported in Punjab on Sunday

LAHORE: Punjab Health Department has reported 79 new reported cases of dengue in the province on Sunday. While this represents a marginal decline in the daily number of new cases, it still signals at continued spread of the virus.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about half of the world’s population is now at risk of dengue with an estimated 100–400 million infections occurring each year, Dawn News reported on Sunday.

The provincial breakdown of these new cases, as given by the health department, shows the highest incidence of the virus in Rawalpindi where 65 new cases were reported. Sialkot and Chakwal reported two and four new cases, respectively. Lahore, Faisalabad, Attock, Kasur, Sahiwal, Okara, Gujrat and Okara reported one new case in each city.

Ao far, in the calendar year 2024, nearly 7,000 dengue cases have been reported across the province. Punjab Health Department has assured the authorities and the citizens that hospitals are fully equipped with the medicines and the treatment supplies to deal with the surge.

Moreover, government health teams are also working in high-risk areas to mitigate the danger of further spread of the virus.

While most patients diagnosed with dengue virus show mild symptoms, the disease itself can be deadly, especially if not timely diagnosed.

The government and the health authorities are urging the public to practice caution, avoid high-risk areas, and cooperate with the health teams engaged in eradication of the virus.

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