Dengue cases on the rise, Bangladesh sees year’s first death
Sayeeda Nasrin Bably, an assistant professor at Jagannath University, died from dengue at a city hospital on Wednesday.
The number of dengue patients is increasing in the capital in the last one month amid the surge of coronavirus infections across the country.
About 82% of the total dengue patients of the year have been infected in the last 37 days. On 7 July, 29 people were infected in a single day. Of those, 28 were from Dhaka and only one was from outside Dhaka.
Bangladesh witnessed this year's first death from dengue on Wednesday with Sayeeda Nasrin Bably, 35, an assistant professor of history department at Jagannath University, who was on life support, died at the capital's Square Hospital around 4 am.
However, officials of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) claim they have not yet received any reports of dengue deaths.
Deputy Attorney General Barrister Abdullah Al Mahmoud, husband of Sayeeda Nasrin, said his wife was admitted to Square Hospital with dengue fever on 20 June. The following day, she was shifted to the ICU. Later, she was kept on life support as her condition deteriorated.
Every year during the monsoon season, the two city corporations of Dhaka take various steps to control Aedes mosquitoes, but they failed to stop the spread of dengue cases.
According to the information provided by the DGHS, a total of 565 people have been infected with dengue from 1 January to 7 July this year. A total of 464 of them have been infected in the 37 days since 1 June.
In a briefing on Wednesday, DGHS spokesperson Prof Nazmul Islam said as the rainwater was stagnant many places, Aedes mosquito larvae, the carrier of dengue, is increasing a bit.
He said the coronavirus is getting more attention than others. But there is no chance to ignore dengue. The DGHS spokesperson advised everyone to be aware.
The number of dengue patients has been increasing since the beginning of the monsoon season despite Dhaka's two city corporations having various mosquito control campaigns since the beginning of this year.
At present, 128 dengue patients are admitted in different hospitals in Dhaka. Most of them are residents of Dhaka South City Corporation who have contracted dengue in their homes. The Dhaka North says only six dengue patients are hospitalized in their area.
Fahmida Yasmin, a resident of Purana Paltan, was admitted to a private hospital in the capital on 30 June with fever. She later tested for dengue. Two days ago, she returned home after recovering.
Fahmida Yasmin told TBS, the road in front of her house is being repaired. Maybe the rainwater was stagnant there. She was infected by the Aedes mosquito that grew there.
Three more residents of her building were infected with dengue. They have not recovered yet, she added.
Mohammad Mustakim in Jatrabari was infected with dengue on 3 July. He is now undergoing treatment at Islami Bank Central Hospital. He has not completely recovered yet.
Brigadier General Dr Mohammad Sharif Ahmed, chief health officer of Dhaka South City Corporation, declined to comment on their campaign on aedes mosquito control and the increasing number of dengue patients in the south.
When asked about the death of this year's first dengue patient in the south, he disconnected the phone call.
The public relations officer (PRO) of Dhaka South also did not receive the phone call.
Brigadier General Mohammad Jobaidur Rahman, chief health officer of Dhaka North City Corporation, told TBS, the houses of dengue patients admitted in the hospitals have been identified and fogging done in those houses. Additionally, regular fogging is done in the vicinity of the hospitals where there are dengue patients.