KARACHI(National Times)- Sindh has reported its first dengue-related death of the year, as a 24-year-old male patient passed away at the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital. According to hospital officials, the patient had been on a ventilator for the past two days and was suffering from a critically low platelet count of just 32,000. A healthy individual typically has between 150,000 and 450,000 platelets, highlighting the severity of the case. This is the first confirmed dengue fatality in Sindh in 2025, as the province continues to report relatively low numbers of cases compared to previous years. So far this year, 295 dengue cases have been recorded across Sindh. Of these, 260 cases — nearly 90% — have been reported in Karachi alone, making the city the epicentre of dengue activity in the province. During the month of June 2025, Karachi division registered 32 new dengue cases. In contrast, the Hyderabad and Shaheed Benazirabad divisions did not report any new cases during the same month. Mirpurkhas and Sukkur divisions reported just one case each in June. When looking at the overall distribution of cases in Sindh for the year 2025 so far, Karachi leads with 260 reported infections. Hyderabad division has reported a total of 30 cases this year, followed by Mirpurkhas with 2 cases and Sukkur also with 2 cases. The Shaheed Benazirabad division has reported just 1 case to date. While the current figures are concerning, they represent a significant decline in dengue activity when compared to the previous four years. In 2024, Sindh reported a total of 2,704 dengue cases. In 2023, there were 2,880 confirmed cases. The numbers were even higher in 2022, with a record 23,274 cases reported across the province — the highest figure in recent years. By comparison, 2021 saw 6,739 cases, while 2020 recorded 4,318 cases. The dramatic reduction in reported dengue cases this year suggests that prevention and control measures may be having a positive effect, although health experts warn that vigilance must be maintained — particularly during the ongoing monsoon season, when mosquito-borne illnesses tend to spike. The health authorities continue to urge residents to take precautionary steps, including eliminating standing water, using mosquito repellents, and seeking immediate medical attention in case of symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, and body pain.