Islamabad: Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province is in the grip of a dengue epidemic with dozens of cases being reported daily at various hospitals, Xinhua reported.
At least 145 cases of dengue fever were reported in Lahore, the provincial capital, over the past three days. Several other cities in Punjab have also been hit, a report issued by the provincial health department said Friday.
A total of 1,419 dengue cases were reported in the province this year, of which 1,358 patients recovered.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani who was in Lahore Friday offered help from the federal government to tackle the problem.
Dengue, an acute febrile disease spread by the aedes aegypti mosquito, has been endemic in Pakistan for the past few years. It spreads most often after the rainy season in July and August when pools of standing water serve as ideal mosquito breeding grounds.
Symptoms of dengue fever include high fever, severe body pain, itching and red spots, bleeding from nose and teeth and severe pain in the eyes. (IANS)