Home ›› 31 Aug 2021 ›› Front
The death toll from dengue this year has already reached 42, the second highest since 2003.
At the same time, the number of total positive cases from the mosquito-borne virus has already crossed the 10,000-mark with the country recording 252 new positive cases in a span of 24 hours till 8:00am on Monday, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Including the latest, the total dengue positive cases in the country is now at 10,090.
According to DGHS data, Bangladesh reported its highest – 179 deaths – from dengue in 2019, when over 1,01,354 patients were hospitalised.
In 2020, a total of 1,405 dengue patients were hospitalised, of which 12 died. In 2018, dengue killed 26 and affected 10,148.
Bangladesh saw no death from dengue between 2007 and 2010. From 2011 to 2017 death toll did not cross 20.
Back in 2000, 93 people died of dengue followed by 44 in 2001 and 58 in 2002.
Talking to The Business Post, public health experts expressed concerns that the present dengue situation might worsen further as the country registered 7,432 dengue patients and 30 deaths in the month of August only.
DGHS data showed that dengue cases continued to rise in an alarming rate in the country in first seven months of the year.
A total of 32 dengue positive cases were registered in January this year, which jumped to 272 in June and rose astronomically to stand at 2,286 by July.
Of the cases, most of them were identified in urban areas. In the past 24 hours, 202 out of 252 positive cases were reported from 41 hospitals in Dhaka.
“The DGHS statistics does not reflect the actual scenario of dengue situation in the capital as the government agency collect information only from 41 hospitals,” Entomologist Manjur A Chowdhury said while talking to The Business Post.
The dengue virus is transmitted by female Aedes mosquitoes and infections usually peak from March till August in the country.
However, this year Bangladesh is experiencing a late surge of the viral fever.
“Many dengue patients, who take treatment at home or at other hospitals go uncounted in the DGHS statistics,” said Manjur, also a former president of the Zoological Society of Bangladesh.
He also noted that the capital’s city corporations have failed to control the mosquito population, which might lead to a surge in new infections.
However, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Md Atiqul Islam said that the city corporation was trying its best to control the mosquito population by spraying insecticides and creating awareness among city dwellers.
“Public awareness is the most important factor in controlling dengue virus as Aedes mosquitos breed in stagnant water found inside homes,” he said.
On Sunday, a DNCC mobile court filed 10 cases against land owners and fined a total of Tk 1.48 lakh after finding mosquitos larvaes on their properties.
Meanwhile, Dhaka South City Corporation Public Relation Officer Md Abu Nasher said that DSCC has also been running mobile courts to punish errant landowners who were creating favorable environment for mosquito breeding.
DGHS Director Nazmul Islam said that dengue turned dangerous in Dhaka this year as the fatality rate was much higher than previous years.
He urged the city corporation to take pragmatic steps to control the situation.
In 2017, Bangladesh did not record any dengue cases as more than 13,000 people with chikungunya infection took treatment at hospitals while many others took treatment at home.
Public health experts said that a surge in dengue cases amid the Covid-19 pandemic has doubled the pressure on the country’s public health sector.
