UAF Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan (SI) addresses the participants of a Dengue Seminar in New Senate Hall of the University

University of Agriculture Faisalabad and Punjab Medical College are going to jointly host an international event on September 24, 2012 to explore new ways and means for regulating the insect activity as eradicating the dengue mosquito would be against the biological balance of the nature, said UAF Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan while addressing the participants of Dengue seminar here in new senate hall of the University on Sunday morning. He told that in early 2011, when the dengue outbreak started, the Punjab Government was looking for trained professionals to control the dengue epidemic, at that time of catastrophic UAF took the lead and provided galvanized manpower to guide the government properly. He urged the participants that to avoid the dengue virus, we need to discharge our collective responsibility by making all out efforts in this regards. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan said UAF is not complacent and actively playing its role in all times of need, and now invigorating to make the campus a role model in all respect of humanity as it houses hundreds of intellectuals and fertile minds. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan emphasized the need to excel in research and development activities to explore the other preventive aspects in this regard. He told that globally, more than 100 million people had been affected by Dengue during the last one decade adding that in Brazil hundred percent population of some towns has been affected by dengue virus. He Vice Chancellor told that besides R&D activities, UAF hold scores of dengue awareness seminars, arranged walks, distributed pamphlets, revitalized the Faisalabad Research Forum, and acted promptly in surveillance activities of the city government. He lauded the Punjab Government in timely addressing the Dengue epidemic, thus, the number of dengue patients are reduced this year. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan congratulated the Entomology Department and Career Development Center for arranging an excellent seminar on the topic. Addressing the participants as keynote speaker, Prof. Dr. Anjum Sohail told that albopictus and Aedes mosquitocausing the dengue virus were not harmful but after biting a virus carrier person who came from overseas, the virus was transmitted to other people adding that government should make the quarantine department more vigilant to control such disease. He said that a dengue virus decreases the immunity system of the human body and a patient of other diseases can carry the virus more rapidly. He urged the gathering to remain changing the water in pots and not allow stagnant water for more than a week to prevent the larva growth. He emphasized that fogging and spray should be need-based as an excessive use of spray and fogging would make the mosquito more resistant on one hand, and by killing the mosquito, disrupting the natural biological balance on other hand. Dr. Anjum Sohail dispelled a common myth that the mosquito of that kind can transmit a dengue virus adding that only female mosquito bites the human and make a person carrier of the dengue virus. Program Officer of Career Development Center Govt. of the Punjab Miss Aneela Javed , Dr. Rashid Rasul Khan, and CDO Ms Asifa Naz also spoke on the occasion. On the occasion, students of Laboratory School System also presented interesting activities on the topic. An exhibition to create awareness about the dengue was also held by the Entomology, Microbiology, and Biotechnology departments of the University.