PESHAWAR: A 30-year-old man from Mardan has died from complications linked to Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever, marking the first reported death from the mosquito-borne illness in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) this year, according to official sources.
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Health officials confirmed that the patient was initially admitted to Mardan Medical Complex on September 30. However, he discharged himself against medical advice after two days and opted to recover at home. Medical professionals believe his condition worsened significantly due to receiving unmonitored intravenous dextrose drips at home. He was re-admitted to the same hospital two days prior to his death, but could not be saved.
Meanwhile, as per the latest report by the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response System (IDSRS) 34 new dengue cases have been recorded in the province within the past 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed infections this year to 3,236.
Currently, 57 patients are undergoing treatment in hospitals, including 10 newly admitted cases. So far, 1,365 individuals have required hospitalisation due to the virus, while 2,990 have recovered. The province now has 245 active cases.
Charsadda remains the worst-affected district with 1,008 confirmed cases, followed by Haripur (301), Mansehra (299), Peshawar (294), Mardan (253), Swabi (132), Kohat (125), and Abbottabad (114).
Health workers involved in dengue prevention efforts expressed frustration over the public’s disregard for precautionary advice. According to a news report by Dawn, a recent field visit by the health workers to the Sufaid Dheri area of Peshawar revealed dengue larvae in nearly every household, with 16 residents testing positive for Chikungunya, another mosquito-borne disease.
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Last year, KP reported three dengue-related deaths from a total of 4,200 cases. Officials noted that early implementation of disease control protocols this year has so far helped limit the number of fatalities.
However, with the weather still conducive for mosquito activity, health experts warned that cases are expected to climb in the coming weeks. Public awareness and prevention remain key to curbing the outbreak.