A fresh dengue scare has surfaced at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, after mosquito larvae and adult mosquitoes were spotted breeding in stagnant water inside the hospital’s Maternal and Child Health (MCH) facility.
Larvae and live mosquitoes were found in pools of standing water around the MCH block, an area where pregnant women and their attendants routinely wait for check-ups. Health officials say the discovery is especially worrying because the facility sees a steady flow of expectant mothers and newborns, groups that are particularly vulnerable during a dengue outbreak.
Officials have also pointed out that current weather conditions in the capital are highly conducive to mosquito breeding, raising the risk of transmission among patients, attendants, and hospital staff alike.
Four Dengue Cases Reported in Islamabad So Far This Year
District Entomologist Qasim Sajra confirmed that Islamabad has recorded four dengue cases so far in 2026, two of whom are residents of Rawalpindi. For comparison, the capital logged 197 dengue cases in August 2025 alone, and 40 cases in the same month of 2024, figures that show how sharply infections can rise once the monsoon season sets in.
Monsoon Season Keeps the Threat Elevated
According to Sajra, Islamabad’s dengue risk remains high largely because of the ongoing monsoon rains. Water collecting in open containers, drains, construction sites and other neglected spots creates ideal breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquito, the primary carrier of dengue fever.
The larvae found inside the PIMS MCH premises fit this pattern, and have renewed concerns about how hospitals and other public buildings manage standing water during the rainy months. Health authorities typically respond to such findings with larvicidal spraying and fumigation drives, along with public advisories urging residents to drain stagnant water around homes and workplaces.
What Visitors Should Know
Dengue fever spreads through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito and can cause high fever, severe joint and muscle pain, headaches, and in some cases, dangerous drops in platelet count. Pregnant women, young children and elderly patients are considered higher-risk groups, which is why the presence of larvae in a maternal and child health ward has drawn particular attention from health officials in Islamabad.
Residents and hospital visitors are advised to use mosquito repellents, wear full-sleeved clothing during peak mosquito hours, and report any standing water in public facilities to the relevant municipal or health authorities.