The floods of 2022: Economic and health crisis hits Pakistan.

Pakistan is currently going through the worst-ever recorded flood crisis. The 2022 floods have created unprecedented destruction, especially in the coastal regions of the country. Almost one-third of Pakistan has drowned, merely as a consequence of climate change which is impacting many countries around the globe, with the South Asian countries at the greatest risk due to their proximity to the equator. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has reported millions of people to be affected by the catastrophic floods. The country is also going through a major economic crisis due to livestock and agriculture being destroyed, which has led to severe food shortages resulting in the flood victims being vulnerable to malnutrition as well. Health care has also been severely affected, with a serious outbreak of waterborne diseases including diarrhea, dengue fever, malaria. Thousands of pregnant women are unable to access maternity services and menstrual hygiene products are also unavailable in flood-stricken areas. The Government of Pakistan should address this urgent matter as a priority and necessary steps should be taken to try and contain this catastrophe.

The emergence of Dengue Fever in Sheikhupura, Pakistan: its seroprevalence and risk factors assessment during 2014-2017.

INTRODUCTION: District Sheikhupura encountered its first dengue outbreak in 2014 but lacked serological evidence and reports of risk factors associated with it. To assess this, a hospital-based study was conducted from January 2014 to December 2017. METHODOLOGY: Blood from 333 participants was collected, the serum obtained was tested for IgG and IgM antibodies against DENV using a commercially available ELISA kit. RESULTS: The results showed that out of all (n= 333) samples tested, 120 were turned up positive for DENV, making an overall prevalence of 36%. Of the 120 confirmed cases, 55% (n = 66) were recorded in 2014, 10% (n = 12) in 2015, 27.5% (n = 33) in 2016, and 7.5% (n = 9) in 2017. It was found that 68.3% (n = 82) were male and 31.7% (n = 38) were female, with 61% (n = 74) patients aged between 11-30 years. The highest prevalence of infection, 94.2% (n = 113), was noted after the rainy season. During the study, the highest number of cases appeared in Ferozewala Tehsil. The factors age, gender, and season were found statistically significant with the prevalence of infection (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The study is the first report on the detection of dengue in the Sheikhupura district. The survey anticipated its geographical expansion, determined associated risk factors, and suggests active disease surveillance in the area.

Seasonal Distribution and Container Preference Ratio of the Dengue Fever Vector (Aedes aegypti, Diptera: Culicidae) in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Aedes aegypti (L.) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) are known vectors of dengue, chikungunya, and other pathogens; however, their ecology and role in virus transmission has not been well studied in Pakistan. Here, we report on an intensive survey of potential breeding sites of Ae. aegypti in Rawalpindi, Punjab Province, Pakistan. The study continued for 11 mo and was divided into three seasons: January to June (pre-monsoon), July to September (monsoon), and October-November (post-monsoon). Larval mosquitoes were collected from all wet containers present in and around the houses. Altogether 5,570,418, 2,930,508, and 1,507,111 water-filled containers were examined during each season, of which 2,703, 8,843, and 3,439 were found positive for Ae. aegypti larvae or pupae, yielding Breteau indices of 0.46, 2.92, and 1.99%, respectively. Among 14 container types examined, the breeding preference ratio during all seasons was highest for roof-top water tanks and room evaporative coolers, followed by discarded tires and urban trash. The study concluded that increased urbanization, insufficient water supply and inefficient removal of urban trash resulted in increased numbers of nonbiodegradable containers around human dwellings, thereby creating ideal breeding habitats for Ae. aegypti. Measures such as integrated vector management, minimization of the breeding potential of Ae. aegypti by water management, proper disposal of discarded tires and urban trash, and health education were recommended for control of Ae. aegypti.