KARACHI: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Thursday issued a nationwide alert warning about the spread of dengue fever in 10 major cities by October after monsoon rains. 

The dengue outbreak is expected to spread in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Larkana and Multan, said the PMD in its statement. 

Dengue fever may also occur in areas affected by rains after monsoon, said the PMD, adding that the fever has badly affected the health of people across the country.

Moreover, the infection has been spreading since mid-September. The department also revealed that an increase in dengue virus was observed from September 20 to December 5 after the monsoon in 10 years.

The meteorological department said the vector-borne disease becomes active if the temperature is between 26°C to 29°C and it gets favourable environment when humidity is close to 60%.

“All stakeholders should take proactive measures to prevent the spread of dengue,” the PMD said in its statement.

Pakistan, especially Punjab, has been gripped by dengue virus with hundreds of cases being reported on a weekly basis.

In response to the rising number of cases, the Health Department has issued an advisory urging the public to maintain clean and dry surroundings to prevent the spread of virus.

NEW DELHI: India has reported an mpox case — a man from the southern state of Kerala — of the rapidly spreading clade 1b variant, marking South Asia’s first case from the new clade on Monday. 

Health Ministry spokesperson Manisha Verma confirmed the strain after news agency ANI cited official sources as saying that the mpox case reported in the Malappuram district of Kerala last week belonged to clade 1.

The patient is a 38-year-old man who had travelled from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and had been admitted to the government medical college hospital in the district, Kerala authorities said last week.

The state health department did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for details of the case on Monday.

India, the world’s most populous nation, had so far not reported an mpox case from the new strain but federal authorities had issued an advisory this month to all states to remain vigilant and be prepared to address potential cases.

The caution followed the rapid spread that prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare the outbreak a global health emergency after the new offshoot, first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), began spreading to neighbouring countries.

India had reported about 30 cases and one death from the older strain, known as clade 2, between 2022 and March this year, and one more clade 2 case earlier this month.

Two strains of mpox are now spreading in Congo — the endemic form of the virus, clade 1, and the new clade 1b strain, with the term “clade” referring to a form of the virus.

Mpox transmits through close physical contact, including sexual contact, but unlike previous global pandemics such as COVID-19 there is no evidence it spreads easily through the air.

It typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, and is usually mild but can kill.

Khyber Pakhtunhwa has reported its first poliovirus case while two other children were also diagnosed with the disease pushing the country’s tally to 21 of this year.

The virus has been detected in a 15-month-old boy in Balochistan’s Killa Abdullah, a three-year-old boy in Karachi’s Keamari district and a nine-month-old girl in KP’s Mohmand district.

The virus primarily affects children under the age of five years, who are malnourished or have weak immunity because of being under-vaccinated or not vaccinated for polio and other childhood diseases.

The illness invades the nervous system and causes paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling disease.

Despite rigorous efforts by the government towards eradication of the disease, Pakistan remains in the grip of poliovirus. It is one of the two remaining polio-endemic countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, and the number of cases on a yearly basis has significantly dropped in the country.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on September 8 launched a special anti-poliovirus campaign to ensure the complete eradication of the crippling disease from the country.

Under the drive, around 286,000 polio workers were slated to administer polio vaccines to some 30 million children under the age of five in the door-to-door campaign from September 9 to 15.

Last month, the Sindh government had also commenced a 10-day immunisation drive against the disease.

The virus’s spread is not limited to these three provinces as Islamabad reported its first polio case in 16 years when the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio at the National Institute of Health confirmed the detection of the type 1 (WPV1) variant of the disease in a child from Union Council Rural 4 of the federal capital on September 6.

So far, Balochistan has reported the highest number of poliovirus cases with 14 children being affected by the disease. Whereas, Sindh’s tally stands at four and Punjab, Islamabad and KP have reported one case each so far.

Meanwhile, taking action on the first poliovirus case in the KP, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has directed the health secretary to immediately suspend the relevant district health officer (DHO) and Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) coordinator.

Furthermore, the chief minister announced that the KP government will provide treatment and support for the polio-affected girl from Mohmand.

Turkish doctors successfully separated Pakistani twin girls, Mirha and Minal, who were conjoined at the skull after a marathon 14-hour surgery performed in two stages, according to state-run Anadolu news agency.

The surgery was conducted at Bilkent City Hospital, Ankara, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded to the family’s plea for help as they were unable to find a suitable treatment in Pakistan.

After being contacted by renowned London-based pediatric neurosurgeon Owase Jeelani, Erdogan assured Jeelani that the babies’ treatment would be carried out in Turkey, as per Anadolu.

The 11-month-old twin girls travelled to the Turkish capital in May and were placed under close medical supervision.

The final 14-hour operation took place on July 19 by a surgical team led by Dr Jeelani along with Turkish physicians Dr Harun Demirci and Dr Hasan Murat Ergani.

Emphasising the extensive teamwork involved in the operation, the hospital’s head of the Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Namik Yasar Ozbek told the Turkish news agency: “The babies had some issues with sitting and hand movements due to their conjoined state.”

“Post-surgery, our neurologists, physical therapists and neurodevelopmental specialists resolved these issues,” he added.

“The babies are now doing very well, starting to use their hands and arms, and gaining head control. In 10 days, they will celebrate their first birthdays separately,” Ozbek said.

“Seeing the babies healthy now is an incredible joy,” said Turkish physician Ergani, who was part of Dr Jeelani-led surgical team, adding: “When we successfully separated them, the entire medical team looked at each other and applauded. It was one of the most memorable moments of my life.”

Speaking to the news agency, the twins’ parents, Rehan Ali and Nazia Parveen, expressed their profound gratitude to President Erdogan, the medical team, and everyone involved in their children’s treatment.

“We are very happy and indebted to everyone who contributed,” said the father, adding that they hope to meet Erdogan to thank him personally.