LAHORE, Aug 6: Eight new confirmed cases of dengue fever, including cerotype-1 (Den-1), have surfaced in the city, an official told Dawn on Tuesday.

The city witnessed sudden surge in the number of the viral disease due to recent spell of rain.

The health and medical experts have already declared the month of August conducive to dengue breeding and advised extensive efforts to eliminate larva.

Of the total, seven patients were brought to the Mayo Hospital and one to Jinnah.

Muhammad Sharif (80) was shifted to the Jinnah Hospital some days back and his blood samples dispatched to the Centre for Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), Punjab University, for PCR analysis confirmed him the patient of Den-1. He was admitted to the Medical Unit-I of the teaching hospital.Earlier, Naheed Bibi, who was brought to Jinnah from Thokar Niaz Beg, also tested positive for the Den-1.

Additional Director General Health on Vector Born Diseases Dr Jaffar Ilyas told Dawn the patients had been brought to the Mayo and Jinnah hospitals between Aug 3 and 5.

He said the blood samples of all these patients initially were analyzed at the hospitals’ laboratories which confirmed them for dengue fever.

Later, the PCR reports confirmed that Muhammad Sharif was suffering from Den-1 and the rest from Den-2.

Dr Jaffar said a new case was reported on Tuesday when Ali Raza, a resident of Hafizabad, tested positive for the virus. Deeba, 22, of Ravi Town and Samina, 26, of Data Gunj Bux Town, were admitted to the Mayo Hospital on Aug 5.

Other patients were identified as Nazir Ahmad, Fatima, Bakht Qamar and Muhammad Iqbal.