29 September 2013 An outbreak of dengue fever has been reported in Swat district of Khyber

Pakthunkhwa (KPK) province in Pakistan. As of 25 September 2013, a total of 6376 suspected cases,
including 23 deaths (casefatality rate 0.36%), were reported from this district since 7 August 2013.
Laboratory test performed at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad, Pakistan, confirmed the
diagnosis and detected three sero types of dengue fever (DEN-1, DEN-2 and DEN-3) as the causative
strain of this current outbreak.

Dengue fever is endemic in Pakistan with seasonal rise in cases. However, recently, the transmission of
dengue fever has intensified in the country with increased incidence and geographic expansion. Apart from
the KPK province, sporadic cases have also been reported from the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, and
Balochistan.

Table 1. Denge fever cases reported from Pakistan, 20092011

Year

Suspected cases

Cases

Deaths

laboratory-confirmed
2006

4961

1931

41

2007

2304

1226

18

2008

2792

2469

17

2009

1940

1085

13

2010

15 901

11 024

40

2011

252 935

17 057

219

The district administration of Swat, with support from WHO, has scaled up response activities to prevent
further spread of dengue fever, including public awareness-raising campaigns for risk mitigation,
strengthening surveillance and general preventive measures, improving clinical management of patients
and implementing targeted vector control activities. A dengue task force set up by the district administration
is coordinating the response activities.

With respect to this event, WHO does not advise any travel or trade restriction to be applied to Swat district
of the KPK province or to the country.