TY - JOUR
T1 - Incidence of Dengue Fever in Pakistan
AU - Nasim, Zarmeen
AU - Reiner, Robert C.
AU - Sheikh, Sana
AU - Khan, Nida Saddaf
AU - Ali, Mushyada
AU - Tejani, Isbaah
AU - Mehmood, Mirza Tayyab
AU - Hassan, Javerya
AU - Aziz, Khalid
AU - Farooqi, Joveria
AU - Ghanchi, Najia
AU - Khan, Erum
AU - Ali, Rafey
AU - Chauhadry, Imran Ahmed
AU - Raza, Aun
AU - Hassan, Sadia
AU - Sultan, Faisal
AU - Chughtai, Omar
AU - Batool, Hijab
AU - Rehman, Ali
AU - Khan, Mumtaz Ali
AU - Ostroff, Samuel
AU - Mokdad, Ali H.
AU - Nasir, Nosheen
AU - Samad, Zainab
AU - Usmani, Bilal Ahmed
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026, Nasim et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PY - 2026
Y1 - 2026
N2 - Introduction: Dengue is a growing health threat in Pakistan due to climate, urbanization, and inadequate sanitation. Despite recurrent seasonal outbreaks, comprehensive evidence on the dengue burden in Pakistan remains limited due to due to underreporting, incomplete data capture, and inconsistencies in diagnostic practices. Methods: We analyzed laboratory-confirmed dengue cases from January 2012 to December 2022 to estimate incidence rates per 1,000 individuals across Pakistan at the subnational level including all 4 provinces, 86 districts, and a federal territory, stratified by 5 distinct age groups (below 5 years, 5–14 years, 15–49 years, 50–69 years, and 70 + years) and sex. The population estimates were adjusted to account for variations in treatment-seeking behavior and the utilization of partnering laboratories to ensure that the estimated incidence rates accurately represent the broader population. Results: The incidence rate of dengue in Pakistan exhibited an increasing trend. Across all age groups, the 15–49 years age group had the highest incidence rates, with 56 cases per 1,000 individuals in 2022 (estimated 1.6 million cases). Sex analysis showed a higher proportion of dengue cases in males compared to females, consistent across all age groups. Spatial analysis revealed regional disparities, with higher incidence rates reported from Sindh compared to other provinces. In 2022, Sindh had the highest incidence rate of 45.63 (95% UI: 34.13–60.68) per 1000 individuals (2.63 million estimated cases), while Baluchistan had the lowest incidence rates of 0.44 (95% UI: 0.08–4.48) per 1,000 individuals (6,785 estimated cases). All age groups experienced increasing incidence, with the 15–49 age group showing the most pronounced rise. Conclusion: The findings underscore the growing burden of dengue in Pakistan, highlighting the urgent need for effective public health interventions and enhanced data collection mechanisms to better understand and address this rising public health concern.
AB - Introduction: Dengue is a growing health threat in Pakistan due to climate, urbanization, and inadequate sanitation. Despite recurrent seasonal outbreaks, comprehensive evidence on the dengue burden in Pakistan remains limited due to due to underreporting, incomplete data capture, and inconsistencies in diagnostic practices. Methods: We analyzed laboratory-confirmed dengue cases from January 2012 to December 2022 to estimate incidence rates per 1,000 individuals across Pakistan at the subnational level including all 4 provinces, 86 districts, and a federal territory, stratified by 5 distinct age groups (below 5 years, 5–14 years, 15–49 years, 50–69 years, and 70 + years) and sex. The population estimates were adjusted to account for variations in treatment-seeking behavior and the utilization of partnering laboratories to ensure that the estimated incidence rates accurately represent the broader population. Results: The incidence rate of dengue in Pakistan exhibited an increasing trend. Across all age groups, the 15–49 years age group had the highest incidence rates, with 56 cases per 1,000 individuals in 2022 (estimated 1.6 million cases). Sex analysis showed a higher proportion of dengue cases in males compared to females, consistent across all age groups. Spatial analysis revealed regional disparities, with higher incidence rates reported from Sindh compared to other provinces. In 2022, Sindh had the highest incidence rate of 45.63 (95% UI: 34.13–60.68) per 1000 individuals (2.63 million estimated cases), while Baluchistan had the lowest incidence rates of 0.44 (95% UI: 0.08–4.48) per 1,000 individuals (6,785 estimated cases). All age groups experienced increasing incidence, with the 15–49 age group showing the most pronounced rise. Conclusion: The findings underscore the growing burden of dengue in Pakistan, highlighting the urgent need for effective public health interventions and enhanced data collection mechanisms to better understand and address this rising public health concern.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105045095257
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0352938
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0352938
M3 - Article
C2 - 42391264
AN - SCOPUS:105045095257
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 21
JO - PLOS One
JF - PLOS One
IS - 7
M1 - e0352938
ER -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being