PESHAWAR: A total of 478 dengue virus cases have been confirmed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year, while government hospitals have reported 2,697 suspected cases, according to official data.
Over the past week, health authorities recorded another 620 suspected cases, of which 83 were confirmed as dengue infections.
According to a report issued by the Health Department under the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response System (IDSR), no dengue-related deaths have been reported in the province so far this year.
Peshawar remains the worst-affected district, with 177 confirmed cases, followed by Kohat with 151 cases. Bannu has reported 31 cases, Haripur 21 and Swat 10.
Meanwhile, Dera Ismail Khan, Bajaur and Nowshera have each reported eight confirmed cases. Khyber, Lakki Marwat, Lower Dir and North Waziristan have recorded two cases each, while Orakzai has reported one case, the lowest number in the province.
The Health Department said it has stepped up surveillance across the province to contain the spread of dengue and eliminate mosquito breeding sites.
More than 246,000 houses have been inspected across KP, with dengue larvae detected at 600 locations. In addition, health teams inspected more than 22,000 outdoor sites and found dengue larvae at 304 locations.
Technical measures have also been carried out in 12 districts to eliminate mosquito larvae and prevent further spread of the virus.
However, the Health Department has identified the lack of dengue-related data from major Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) hospitals as a key challenge.
Officials said the absence of complete data from major medical centres could affect an accurate assessment of the overall dengue situation in the province.
