Dengue deaths keep rising outside Dhaka

The number of dengue-related deaths outside Dhaka has been consistently higher than those in the capital city for the past six consecutive days, indicating a rising trend in fatalities in those areas.

Nineteen more dengue patients have died and 3,033 were hospitalised across the country in the last 24 hours till Monday morning.

Out of the recent fatalities, nine occurred in Dhaka, while the remaining ten happened in various parts of the country. 

As for the new infections, 801 cases were reported in Dhaka and 2,232 were identified in areas outside the capital.

A total of 10,147 dengue patients, including 3,622 in Dhaka and 6,525 in other areas, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country, shows the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) data.

According to Dr M Mushtuq Husain, an adviser at the Institute of Epidemiology, the prevailing belief that dengue primarily afflicts major urban centres such as Dhaka is now being challenged. 

He pointed out that rural areas lack dengue testing and mosquito control facilities, making the situation even worse for these regions.

He said, "The Covid-19 crisis has underscored the importance of sample collection from symptomatic patients, even in remote regions. Effective testing plays a crucial role in guiding physicians' treatment recommendations. However, this alone may not suffice to reduce fatalities occurring beyond Dhaka."

Dr Mushtuq emphasised the urgent need to establish adequate treatment facilities in areas outside Dhaka city, ensuring that patients can access essential medical services near their homes, alleviating the need for troublesome journeys to the capital. 

With the latest figure, a total of 928 dengue patients have died in the country and 1,90,758 were admitted to hospitals this year, according to the DGHS data.

So far 1,79,683 dengue patients were released from hospitals in the country this year.

Previously, the country recorded 281 dengue deaths in 2022 and 179 deaths in 2019. 

Additionally, the DGHS recorded 62,423 dengue cases and 61,971 recoveries last year.