A seven-year-old girl has died of dengue in Hyderabad, raising Sindh’s death toll from the virus to 39 this year, provincial health department sources said on Friday. Officials also reported 173 new dengue cases in the last 24 hours, highlighting a worrying rise in infections across the province.
Karachi remains the most affected city, with 117 new cases confirmed. Another 56 people tested positive in Hyderabad. In total, 1,984 tests were conducted across public and private laboratories during the past day.
Health officials said 21 new dengue patients were admitted to government hospitals, while 25 were admitted to private healthcare facilities. With these admissions, the number of hospitalised dengue patients in Sindh has reached 48.
Sindh has seen a consistent rise in dengue cases over recent years. The province reported 2,704 cases in 2024 and 2,880 in 2023. The year 2022 saw a record 23,274 cases, the highest in recent history. By comparison, 6,739 cases were recorded in 2021 and 4,318 in 2020.
Dengue is a viral illness transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, especially Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. These mosquitoes are most active during the early morning and late afternoon. Symptoms usually appear four to ten days after a bite and may include high fever, intense headache, pain behind the eyes, body aches, nausea, vomiting, skin rash, and light bleeding.
Experts say dengue can be prevented through simple steps such as removing stagnant water, covering water containers, using mosquito repellents and bed nets, and wearing long-sleeved clothing, particularly during peak mosquito activity hours.
Health authorities continue urging the public to take preventive measures seriously as the virus spreads rapidly in urban and semi-urban areas.
