No dengue outbreak fear this year: Punjab University experts

Lahore: Punjab University Dengue Research Group’s (DRG) experts have predicted that according to results of laboratory tests on adult dengue mosquitoes, larvaes and other samples, there is no fear of dengue outbreak this year. They were quoting facts and figures in a seminar organized by PU Department of Zoology regarding dengue awareness and preventive measures at Al Raazi Hall here on Monday.

PU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, MPA Khawaja Imran Nazir, Chairman Department of Zoology Prof Dr Muhammad Akhtar, Chairman Dengue Research Group Prof Dr Saeed Akhtar, Dr Muhammad Idrees, Dr Abdul Ghaffar from Comsat Islamabad, Resident Officer II Malik Muhammad Zaheer, faculty members, employees and students were present on the occasion.

Addressing the ceremony, member PU DRG and Virologist Dr Idrees Khan said that World Health Organization 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 larvaes 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 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 utilize all resources to eradicate dengue from the campus.

MPA Khawaja Imran Nazir said that dengue control was a great challenge to Punjab government but with the day and night struggle of Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif in collaboration with the media and civil society, we had been able to control the spread of life-threatening disease. He said this achievement had surprised Sri Lankan teams who were fighting the disease since decades and had not controlled the spread of disease so far. He said that the government was in war against dengue since three years and we were after dengue mosquitoes even on Eid holidays. He said that unfortunately, the government was being engaged in other matters instead of public service. He said that change would not occur by changing the rulers only but until we change ourselves at individual level.

Addressing the ceremony, Chairman PU DRG Prof Dr Saeed Akhtar gave a detailed presentation on the samples collected from Punjab University and other areas. Later, PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran led a walk from Undergraduate Study Centre to Vice Chancellor’s office in which faculty members, employees and students participated.

Meanwhile,Punjab University Examinations Department has declared the results of BSc Nursing, 3^rd Year, (4 Years Programme) Annual Examination 2014 and BS (4 Years Programme) 3^rd Semester 2014. Detailed results are also available at PU website www.pu.edu.pk.