Walks against dengue, talks on dengue but what about research?

The genie of dengue fever will continue haunting the people for some time as the Punjab government has ignored the most important aspect of fighting the deadly epidemic—studying the dengue virus to determine its type and ascertain whether it has undergone mutation, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Scientific experts had been stressing the need for studying the dengue virus in isolation to find out its actual type and strain. A team of Sri Lankan experts, who visited Pakistan last year to share their expertise during the most severe outbreak of the disease in the metropolis so far, also highlighted the importance of starting research on the virus on war footing. However, the Punjab government had still not taken any step in this direction, while around 30 cases had already been reported.
The government had been putting all its efforts on the patient management and preventive measures (using different techniques such as larvaciding), while the most important move against dengue (for stopping or at least trying to understand its recurrence) had always been the initiation of indepth research into the matter.
Sources in the government’s anti-dengue machinery revealed that a laboratory for this purposed was to be constructed at the institute of public health after last year’s epidemic, but it could not materialize. They further said whatever finances the government had were being utilized on either hiring staff, procuring chemical or on managing dengue patients. They claimed that the health department had no idea about the type of dengue which had appeared in the reported cases so far. “All experts, even last year, urged that research should be initiated regarding the virus. The Sri Lankan virus type and the mosquitoes there had a different habitat which was definitely different from ours.
They coped with the epidemic because they had studied the type of virus that existed in their country and we should study ours. Finances should go in the right direction,” they added.
Mayo Hospital’s microbiology head Dr Tayyaba while talking to the scribe said the government was managing patients and efforts were in place for larvaciding. She added that, “the role of research cannot be denied, rather it is more important”.
Another medical expert seeking anonymity maintained that the government had not invested in the infrastructure, but could initiate research in collaboration with national or international organizations.
“Unless we actually know the type of virus and its strain, we cannot ascertain the severity of disease and whether it is undergoing mutation. If not controlled at this very moment, it could become a monster,” he added.
Advisor to CM on dengue Professor Waseem Akram said stereotyping of dengue patients had not been done. “We are already too occupied with preventive stuff. We just want to pass this phase and will do all this research afterwards.” He further said the laboratory at the IPH had also not started, but would be taken up later. He added that the research part was no doubt very important too.
Secretary health Captain Arif Nadeem said the health department had created a data base of the areas where larvae had been found, physical location of patients coming to hospitals as well as of those being reported in the districts.
“An effective system of disease surveillance is already in place, but the research part is of course not as focused. For a start dengue experts have written concept papers on it and have already started work on it in collaboration with universities,” he added while replying to a question.