Punjab University Dengue Research Group’s (DRG) experts have predicted that according to results of laboratory tests on adult dengue mosquitoes, larvae and other samples, there is no fear of dengue outbreak this year.
They were quoting facts and figures in a seminar organised by Department of Zoology regarding dengue awareness and preventive measures at the Al-Raazi Hall on Monday.
PU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, Punjab Assembly Member (MPA) Khawaja Imran Nazir, Department of Zoology Chairman Prof Dr Muhammad Akhter, Dengue Research Group Chairman Prof Dr Saeed Akhter, Dr Muhammad Idrees, Dr Abdul Ghaffar from Islamabad Comsat, Resident Officer II Malik Muhammad Zaheer, faculty members, employees and students were present on the occasion.
Addressing the ceremony, PU DRG member and Virologist Dr Idrees Khan said that World Health Organisation and SIMS had sent 5 samples of suspected dengue patients having symptoms of dengue fever but no sample was found positive. He said that in the laboratories of Centre for Excellence in Molecular Biology, 706 larvae and 169 adult dengue mosquitoes were tested out of which 12 and 5 were found positive respectively and overall positivity rate was 1.94 percent.
Addressing the ceremony, PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran said that the predictions of the PU DRG set up by the administration had come true so far. He said that for the first time CIA tested dengue in Florida and later it spread the disease in Cuba. He instructed all the heads of departments, hostel wardens and superintendents to ensure cleanliness in their premises and utilise all resources to eradicate dengue from the campus.
Khawaja Imran Nazir said that dengue control was a great challenge to the government but with the day and night struggle of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in collaboration with the media and civil society, we had been able to control the spread of life-threatening disease.
