Dengue, which claimed more than 500 lives in 2011, is set to return between the second week of February and the first week of April, 2012. The government has asked the international community and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to help eradicate the virus. Sources revealed that Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) has created a liaison with IAEA to fight against dengue. A $5 million plan has been drafted and would likely be enforced in March 2012, sourced said. The plan features training for Pakistani physicians, particularly those in Lahore, who have been working on preventing the epidemic and curing its victims. The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has issued high-alert for and launched an awareness drive massive against another deadly attack in the months of February, March and April, which mark the most favourable season for dengue breeding. With a view to combat the deadly virus which claimed more than 600 lives, an action plan has been put into play and preparation was in full swing. LDA also established a free help-line in this regard, which would ensure anti-mosquito fogging and would also address other complaints. LDA Director General Abdul Jabbar Shaheen held an awareness seminar about ‘Causes and Prevention of Dengue Fever’. He said that due to favourable weather conditions for mosquito breeding, another dengue epidemic was likely to hit the city between the second week of February to the first week of April 2012.
