Bangladesh sees rise in Dengue cases: 18 more cases confirmed

Bangladesh reported 18 new dengue cases in the 24 hours till Monday morning ahead of monsoon.

All 18 people were hospitalised with dengue' a viral infection, in Dhaka city, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Fifty-one dengue patients, including 50 in the capital, are receiving treatment at hospitals.

In 2022, the DGHS has recorded 338 dengue cases and 287 recoveries so far. However, it has not yet reported any death from the mosquito-borne viral disease.

A total of 105 dengue patients including 95 in Dhaka division alone died in 2021.

Dengue – a leading cause of serious illness and death in some Asian and Latin American countries – was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000 and claimed 93 lives. In three years, the fatality number almost fell to zero.

There is no specific treatment for dengue or severe dengue. Early detection of disease progression associated with severe dengue, and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates of severe dengue to below 1 percent, according to World Health Organization.

"The global incidence of dengue has grown dramatically, with about half of the world's population now at risk. Although an estimated 100-400 million infections occur each year, over 80 percent are generally mild and asymptomatic," it said.