Dengue claims highest five lives in 24 hours
- Dengue death toll 31 this year so far
- 284 more hospitalised in 24 hours
- 1,216 dengue patients admitted in six days of September, 10 deaths
- Dengue infection may rise further in September
The country reported the single-day highest number of deaths in dengue and patients admitted to hospitals across the country on Tuesday.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), at least five dengue patients died while 284 were admitted to different hospitals throughout the country in 24 hours till 8:00 am on Tuesday, showing an increasing trend.
With the new death, the dengue death toll rose to 31 with highest 11 in August and 10 in the first six days of September.
According to the death tally, 13 people died in Dhaka and 16 in Chattogram division. Of the deaths in Chattogram, 15 were in Cox's Bazar. Besides, two died in Barishal.
Experts fear that dengue infection may rise further in September.
Although most of the dengue patients are from the two city corporations, the corporation authorities claim that the dengue outbreak is under control.
But experts blamed the failure of the city corporations in managing the dengue hotspots for the unusual rise in the infection of the disease.
Entomologist of Jahangirnagar University Prof Kabirul Bashar told The Business Standard if the authorities fail to manage hotspots, the number of dengue patients will continue to increase.
Referring to the DGHS survey on Aedes, he said that the density of Aedes mosquitoes found during monsoon is more than double of the density found in the pre-monsoon survey.
"The dengue outbreak will prevail throughout September. In the recent survey that we have conducted in collaboration with the DGHS, we found more larvae this year compared to last year," he said.
He suggested that the city corporations should take measures for hotspot management throughout September and conduct Aedes control activities both in the morning and evening, giving high priority to the dengue patients of those areas.
This year, the dengue outbreak is on the rise in Malaysia and Singapore too.
A DGHS monsoon survey, conducted between August 11 and 23, found the presence of Aedes mosquitoes in 13.4% of the houses under Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and 11.75% under Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).
Aedes mosquitoes were present in 45.2% of the multi-storeyed buildings and 24.8% of the under-construction buildings of DNCC.
Besides, Aedes were found in 20.3% of independent houses, 6.8% of slums or semi-pucca houses, and 2.8% of vacant plots.
In DSCC areas, Aedes were found in 33% of multi-storeyed buildings, 27% of independent houses, 12.1% of slums, and 5.1% of vacant plots.
A total of 1,319 households of 40 DNCC wards and 1,830 households of 58 DSCC wards were surveyed.
Of the total cases reported on Tuesday, 224 infections were within Dhaka and the remaining 60 were from outside the capital.
A total of 850 dengue patients are being treated right now at different hospitals across the country.
As of Tuesday, 7,397 people were diagnosed and hospitalised with dengue fever this year, of whom 6,516 were released after recovering from the infection.
DSCC Chief Health Officer Dr Fazle Shamsul Kabir told TBS that only three people have died in DSCC this year and the dengue situation is under control. The infection rate is lower here compared to other parts of the country, he added.
DNCC Chief Health Officer Brig Gen Md Zobaidur Rahman said they have purchased 30 boats to clean waterbodies and use insecticides properly.
"We are conducting our regular Aedes control activities. We also have been using tablets in the water metre of WASA so that Aedes cannot breed for three months," he said.