Health dept springs into action after chikungunya outbreak in KP's Nowshera

PESHAWAR - The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department has taken swift action to combat the chikungunya outbreak in Nowshera district, following the detection of six cases caused by mosquito bites. One of three samples collected from Malakand district also tested positive for the virus. District health officer Dr Akram Shah stated that they have identified 192 suspected cases, with 25 more samples sent to the lab for confirmation.

He explained that last Sunday, 45 suspected chikungunya cases were recorded, resulting in 15 samples being sent to the public health reference lab (PHRL) before six came back positive. Dr Shah informed that the cases were reported in Spin Kanai union council of Kaka Sahib area, which is one of the 10 high-risk areas for vector-borne diseases.

The health department has been conducting epidemiological investigations to trace the outbreak's source and virus transmission patterns. The PHRL director, Dr Yasar Mehmood Yousafzai, said samples were collected from residents complaining of viral fever, indicating a potential outbreak. The directorate-general of health services ordered authorities to effectively manage the outbreak and establish a district control room, isolation wards in nearby hospitals, and ensure an adequate stockpile of essential medicines for patient treatment.

They also emphasized strengthening larval source management and mechanical elimination of mosquito breeding sites, maintaining an updated case list, and intensifying community awareness campaigns on vector prevention and control.