Current status of dengue virus, poliovirus, and chikungunya virus in Pakistan

Abstract

Epidemics of infectious diseases especially dengue virus (DENV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and poliovirus are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Pakistan. Risks associated with these outbreaks have drastic effects on the healthcare infrastructure and economy of the country. This report provides the current status of DENV, poliovirus, and CHIKV in Pakistan and further highlights the measures needed to control these infections.

Viral infections in Pakistan: prevalence, factors affecting spread, and recommendations for control

“…With fluctuations in the number of cases till today, a significant increase was noted in May 2021 due to the lifting of restrictions due to the Eid holidays, allowing inter-city and inter-provincial transport [2]. Among the food-borne viruses, a surge of poliovirus cases was observed in 1997 due to poliovirus due to an outbreak in Karachi [3], while for Hepatitis E, the first case was detected in the interval 1950-1955 [4]. In 1972, a sudden increase in infected individuals was noted (250 cases) due to contaminated water supply [4].…”

“…In 2017, the country faced a major outbreak in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa (KPK) province, where more than 18,000 people were infected, of which 86 died. In the province of Punjab, the worst outbreak occurred in the year 2011, with 21 685 reported cases and more than 350 deaths [3]. The vector-borne Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus had its first case in 1970-1975, with an increase in prevalence to 4-5.4% in 1981-1985.…”

Chikungunya (Togaviridae) and dengue 2 (Flaviviridae) viruses detected from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Burkina Faso by qRT-PCR technique: Preliminary results and perspective for molecular characterization of arbovirus circulation in vector populations

“…Travel habits have increased the importation of the virus to new geographic areas by individuals with viremia (5). In sub-Saharan Africa, the arboviral diseases are mainly dominated by dengue fever epidemics located mostly in the Western African countries (6)(7)(8)(9)(10).…”

Gestão adequada de resíduos sólidos como fator de proteção na ocorrência da dengue

“…Esses determinantes são considerados complexos e podem ser interdependentes, influenciando significativamente a saúde da população (1)(2)(3). Nesse sentido, as concentrações de populações em situação de vulnerabilidade, principalmente em áreas periféricas, e os aglomerados subnormais das cidades estão sujeitos a maior risco de exposição e proliferação do vetor (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10).…”

“…22 água e esgotamento sanitário, a insuficiência dos sistemas de drenagem e os deslocamentos frequentes da população (11,12), além da aglomeração populacional de indivíduos suscetíveis e infectados, favorecem aspectos relacionados à propagação do vetor. No caso da dengue, evidências robustas relacionam a incidência da doença com a oferta de saneamento, tanto no Brasil como em outros países (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17). Nessa realidade, são fundamentais as intervenções em infraestrutura e as melhorias nos serviços de saneamento (13,18,19).…”