Prevalence and Epidemiological Investigation of Dengue Fever Cases in Abbottabad

Abstract

Dengue is a mosquito borne viral disease that spread through mosquito bite into human which is now endemic in more than 100 countries and is regarded as the threat to public health results in heavy socio-economic burden on a large number of tropical, subtropical and temperature region of the World. According to research, 50% of people on Earth reside in dengue-prone areas. The World Health Organization estimates that 20 million individuals contract dengue each year, and that 2.5 billion individual’s roughly half of the world's population—are at risk of contracting the disease. The purposes of this investigation are to determine the incidence, prevalence, and contributing factors of dengue fever as well as the community's level of awareness of the disease. This epidemiological investigation was carried out using information gathered from 315 dengue fever patients in the Abbottabad district's CMH (Combined Military Hospital) and AMC (Ayub Medical Complex). According to the questionnaire's design, the participants were questioned on a variety of subjects including their residence, risk factors, symptoms, and basic information. The participants were primarily split into five age groups and two groups, one for each gender. Males (75%) are more likely than females (25%) to contract dengue because they engage in more outdoor endeavors, according to the current study. Dengue fever was more common among individuals in the 16–30 age range (34%). Additionally, it was noted that more instances have been reported since the beginning of the monsoon. In October, 91% of instances had been documented. This study also demonstrates that elderly individuals (33%) and those with low platelet counts suffered more than the others. In the same year, there were 20 recorded deaths from dengue fever. In Pakistan, DENV continues to pose a serious threat to public health and appears to be endemic for some time. In order to prevent and manage dengue outbreaks in the future, the Department of Public Health may take the appropriate actions. The people should be made aware of the need of maintaining a clean environment and urged to take part in the fight against illnesses and infections that are spread by vectors.

Key words: Dengue fever, Outbreak