The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has urged the government to make ongoing anti-mosquito spray campaigns more effective and drain stagnant water/sewage from the flood-affected areas as well as Karachi in response to the high number of dengue and malaria cases being reported in Karachi and the rest of the province.
The PMA released recommendations for managing and preventing dengue, a viral illness that has already engulfed the city and is resulting in tens of thousands of people visiting government and commercial hospitals as well as general practitioners every day.
“There is no vaccine or specific treatment available for dengue fever and the only prevention is to eliminate mosquitoes. This will also help prevent other mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, currently prevalent in the flood-affected areas, chikungunya infection and Zika fever,” the association stated.
Dengue fever symptoms might include high fever, headache, vomiting, and discomfort in the muscles, joints, eyes, and bones. According to PMA’s care recommendations for dengue fever, these symptoms can appear three to four days after infection.
Skin rashes may also be related to it. In the worst case scenario, there may be bleeding from the mouth, nose, ears, and gums.
“Use all available precautions to prevent mosquito bites, including sprays, nets, mosquito mats, repellents, etc. Water tanks should be covered, and any standing water around the home should be cleaned. The PMA recommended that school administration let pupils to wear full shirts and pants and to have the school grounds treated with insecticide.
The group gave doctors advice to treat patients with care and refrain from providing antibiotics or anti-malarial drugs in cases of dengue fever.
“We have observed instances when platelet counts dropped suddenly. Therefore, it would be preferable if the patient underwent a complete blood count (CBC) test within 24 hours after exhibiting symptoms. One should have a dengue test if this data indicates a low platelet count, advised Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro of the PMA.
He recommended medical professionals to treat dengue patients symptomatically and concentrate on oral rehydration.
