Dengue fever hits Pakistan's Punjab province

 　　ISLAMABAD, Sept.4 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's eastern Punjab province is in the grip of a dengue epidemic¹ with dozens of cases being reported daily at various hospitals across the province, said officials and hospital sources.

　　A report issued by the provincial² health department on Friday said that as many as 145 cases of dengue fever in Lahore, the provincial capital, and several other cities have been reported in Punjab over the past three days.

　　The total dengue fever cases in the Punjab are 1,419 since the beginning of this year, out of which 1,358 Dengue patients had recovered and been discharged from hospitals, according to local media.

　　Dengue, an acute febrile disease spread by the bite of the aedes aegypti has been endemic in Pakistan for the last few years. It spreads most often after the rainy season in July and August when pools of standing³ water serve as ideal mosquito breeding spots.

　　Gravity of the dengue disease was felt at the central level and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani extended full support to the Punjab government in coping with the growing number of cases of dengue fever.

　　The Prime Minister, who was in Lahore on Friday, directed his Principal Secretary to contact the Punjab government and assist them in taking necessary preventive measures against the Dengue fever. He also asked him to extend offer on behalf of the federal government for provision of any technical expertise⁴ to the Punjab government.

　　Acting⁵ on reports that the virus was spreading rapidly and that measures to control it had been unsuccessful, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has presided over series of meetings and ordered the immediate⁶ suspension of the Lahore district health officer for failing to control the epidemic.

　　A task force comprising a government minister, health officials and doctors has been set up to review the situation and suggest measures to curb⁷ the virus.

　　On the orders of the chief minister, giant advertisements on measures that can be taken to prevent dengue have appeared in the media.

　　People have been advised not to allow water to stand in containers, to use mosquito repellents, spray homes and be particularly vigilant⁸ at dawn and twilight⁹ when the dengue- carrying mosquitoes bite.

　　This increase in public vigilance and awareness¹⁰ may yet halt the spread of a disease that over the past few weeks has struck across the province, said specialists.

　　Meanwhile, the Health Department spokesman also stressed awareness among the people for prevention, control and treatment of dengue virus. According to him, the symptoms of dengue fever include high fever, severe body pain, itching¹¹ and red spots, bleeding from nose and teeth and severe pain in the eyes. He said precautions include proper covering of the pots having water, like buckets and drums, and using coils, mats and sprays for eliminating mosquitoes.

　　He further said dengue mosquitoes usually attack early in the morning from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.in the evening. The patients should act upon the advice of qualified¹² physicians only, he maintained.

1 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

2 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

5 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

6 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

7 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

8 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

9 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

10 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

11 itching   

adj.贪得的，痒的，渴望的v.发痒( itch的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The itching was almost more than he could stand. 他痒得几乎忍不住了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My nose is itching. 我的鼻子发痒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。