Dengue outbreak claims 21 lives in Pakistan's southern Sindh province

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 21 people have died from dengue fever in Pakistan's southern Sindh province so far this year, as health authorities battle a sharp rise in infections across the region, officials said on Thursday.

According to the Sindh Health Department, eight of the deaths occurred in the first five days of November, including six in Hyderabad district, and one each in Karachi and Tando Allahyar.

In the past 24 hours alone, 1,130 new dengue cases were reported across Sindh following 5,511 tests, the department said. Hyderabad remains the most affected city, recording 603 cases from 1,574 tests, a positivity rate of 38 percent, while Karachi confirmed 527 infections from 3,937 samples.

So far this year, Sindh has recorded 9,638 confirmed dengue cases, including 4,540 in Karachi and 9 deaths in the city.

Health officials said that surveillance, fumigation, and public awareness campaigns have been intensified to contain the spread of the mosquito-borne disease as case numbers continue to rise across the province.■