Need for enhancing capabilities to cope with dengue threat stressed.

ISLAMABAD -- Speakers on Monday stressed government's healthcare authorities to enhance capabilities to cope with looming threat of dengue in the country.

The Vice Chancellor (VC) of the National Skills University Prof. Muhammad Mukhtar, while addressing several clinicians, researchers, virologists, and experts urged the government and the general public to enhance their capacities and capabilities for coping with the looming threat of dengue fever in the country.

He said that dengue virus transmitting mosquitoes' reproduction is curtailed; with the arrival of cold weather.It is time to plan well for the imminent danger of this infection as the mosquito eggs stay safe in the harsh environments, even temperatures below zero.

Prof. Dr. Hassan Abbas Zaheer, National Coordinator, SBTP from the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination elaborating on the dengue issue highlighted challenges in transfusion medicine as dengue fever ultimately compromises human blood characteristics and several elements particularly platelets circulating in the blood.

Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, Director, Malaria Control Programme also outlined the dynamics of dengue spreading mosquitoes and disclosed that besides Aedes aegypti, the primary type spreading dengue fever causing virus traces of another kind the Aedes albopictus has also been found in various...