Dengue menace is on the rise in the off-season too, with 100 deaths so far

Highlights

• 119 persons newly infected with dengue in the last 24 hours

•  256 dengue patients undergoing treatment at govt and private hospitals

• 27,779 dengue patients were admitted at hospitals this year so far

• So far, 100 people died of dengue this year

• Experts blame the failure of two city corporations to control Aedes larvae 

• A DGHS survey found Aedes larvae in 30-40% of households  

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Dengue menace is on the rise across the country—including the capital city-- this year even though the breeding season of the Aedes mosquito, a known vector of dengue, is over. 

Along with the off-season rise of dengue infection, the death toll from the disease is also higher than in other years. The number of dengue patients is not decreasing due to rains in November and December, experts say.  

27,779 people infected with dengue were admitted to hospitals across the country till Tuesday from January this year. Of them, 100 people so far have died of the disease.  Two of them have died in the last one day.

Experts and entomologists are blaming the city corporations' failure to control Aedes mosquitoes. Aedes and other mosquito control drives cannot be slowed down to prevent dengue. They think the city corporations should be more responsible. 

The life cycle of the Aedes mosquito is also changing due to climate change and changing living habits of the city dwellers, they opined. 

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) conducted a survey on Aedes larvae which will be finished on 12 December. In the ongoing post-monsoon survey, the DGHS found Aedes larvae in 30-40% of households including under-construction buildings and other houses.

In comparison to last years' survey, they did not find such a large number of dengue patients in December in previous years.   

In the last five-day of the survey till Tuesday, the DGHS inspected 1500 houses in 50 wards of both city corporations.   

Experts advised running Aedes Larvae control drives throughout the year instead of only in Aedes breeding season.  

Kabirul Bashar, entomologist and professor of the zoology department at Jahangirnagar University, who is involved in the survey, told TBS, "Dengue menace is on the rise in the off-season too due to rains in November and December. Aedes mosquitoes have gone through some characteristic changes as well as reproductive changes." 

He further said the authorities should conduct dengue control activities throughout the year instead of the breeding season of Aedes. 

Moreover, details about the dengue situation can be ascertained by reviewing the data found in the survey, he added.

According to data of DGHS's Health Emergency Operation Center & Control Room, so far, 100 people died of dengue this year. 

According to the DGHS, 27,779 people infected with dengue were admitted to hospitals across the country from January to 7 December this year. 256 dengue patients are undergoing treatment at government and private hospitals.  

119 persons were newly infected with dengue in the last 24 hours. Of them, 27 are from the Dhaka division while 91 patients are in other divisions of the country.   180 people are undergoing treatment at 46 government and private hospitals in Dhaka while 76 patients are in hospitals in other divisions. 

27,423 dengue patients have recovered from the disease and been released from the hospital since January, it added.