A young girl died of dengue fever on Sunday at the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Centre (SIDH&RC), raising the number of deaths from the virus in the province since October to 26.
According to the provincial health department, the 19 year old girl was a resident of Korangi. Sources said that the girl was brought to the hospital by her family after she suffered seizures.
A senior doctor at SIDH told the patient was admitted with dengue encephalitis, a rare and severe complication of dengue fever. The doctor added that the girl passed away one day after being admitted.
Symptoms of dengue encephalitis include seizures, muscle weakness, confusion or unconsciousness, and altered awareness or coma.
Sources confirmed that with this latest case, the total number of dengue related deaths at SIDH&RC this year has reached 13, while 30 patients are currently under treatment for dengue at the hospital.
The doctor said that despite a drop in temperature, the number of cases has not declined. “We may have to wait until December to see a visible decrease in cases in Karachi,” the doctor added.
According to official data, 727 people tested positive for dengue in the last 24 hours 269 from Karachi and 458 from Hyderabad.
The health department’s statement said, Currently, 271 patients are under treatment in government hospitals and 171 in private hospitals. The total number of dengue cases in the province this month has reached 6,708, while 12,284 cases have been reported this year.
Experts said that dengue is not a contagious disease; however, during the first four to five days of fever, an infected person can transmit the virus to mosquitoes, which can then infect others. Even during recovery, if Aedes mosquitoes are present, preventive measures are necessary.
