ISLAMABAD: As many as 166 more dengue patients reported to government hospitals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi in the last 24 hours, health officials said on Saturday.

With 85 new patients, the total number of cases of the season in the federal capital reached 1,819.

Moreover, so far five people have died of the disease in the current season in the capital.

District Health Officer Dr Zaeem Zia said 717 patients were reported from the urban areas and1,102 from the rural areas of the city.

The dengue virus is spread by the aedes aegypti mosquito. The most common symptoms of dengue are high-grade fever accompanied by joint and muscular aches.

There is no vaccine or specinc treatment for dengue but early detection and proper medical care can lower mortality.

Otherwise, the disease may turn into a life-threatening haemorrhagic fever, which in turn may lead to bleeding and dangerously low blood pressure.

Rapid and unplanned urbanisation, lack of sanitation and climatechange are all contributing to a surge in dengue infections.

Rawalpindi No let-up in the dengue cases in the garrison city as 81 new patients reported to the three government hospitals on Saturday.

As many 243 confirmed patients are admitted in the hospitals 58 in Holy Family Hospital (HFH), 121 in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and 64 in the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital.

Of the admitted dengue patients, 188 belonged to Rawalpindi District, 46 to Islamabad, two to Karachi and one each to Bagh, Lahore, Sudhanoti, Poonch, Mohmand and Batgram.

officials said 38 new cases were reported from Potohar Town, 11 from Rawalpindi Cantonment, 13 from city areas, five from Chaklala Cantonment and six from rural areas.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Rawalpindi Saqib Manan said the first priority of the administration was to eliminate dengue larvae and to avoid further spread of the virus.He said a comprehensive plan would be chalked out for the areas affected by the dengue outbreak.

He directed officials concerned to conduct field visits on a daily basis and take steps to further improve the surveillance.

The commissioner expressed these views while presiding over a dengue meeting at the deputy commissioner office Rawalpindi.

Later, the commissioner visited the HFH along with Deputy Commissioner Tahir Farooq and inspected the dengue ward and visited the patients.

He directed the hospital administration to ensure best and on-time treatment to the patients.