ISLAMABAD, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 43 new dengue fever cases were reported in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province over the last 24 hours, bringing the provincial tally for the current season to 3,917, provincial health officials said on Wednesday.
The provincial capital city of Lahore recorded 15 new infections, raising the city's total to 708, Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir confirmed.
Warning of a possible dangerous spike in cases this year, the minister urged citizens to follow precautionary measures, including household fumigation and the use of protective lotions.
He said dengue surveillance had been intensified, with mosquito larvae being destroyed on an emergency basis.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department recently issued a high-risk dengue alert for the period from Sept. 20 to early December, citing suitable weather conditions and widespread flooding as key factors that could accelerate transmission.
The department noted that dengue has become a recurring public health challenge, typically intensifying after the monsoon season. ■
