Bangladesh reports 11 more deaths due to dengue

Bangladesh has recorded 11 more deaths due to dengue and reported 2905 additional cases in the past 24 hours till 8 am Sunday, The Dhaka Tribune reported. The overall death toll due to dengue in Bangladesh now stands at 398.

Since January 1, the total number of dengue cases in Bangladesh has reached 85,411. The rise in dengue cases comes despite the health authorities last week speculation that the number of dengue patients will drop to a tolerable limit by late August. However, the rise in dengue cases so far demonstrates a harrowing picture of the outbreak.

Seven of the 11 deaths in Bangladesh were recorded in Dhaka, according to The Dhaka Tribune report. Of the new patients, 1,042 were hospitalised in Dhaka and the rest in other parts of Bangladesh, The Dhaka Tribune reported citing the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

A total of 9,733 dengue patients, including 4,335 in Dhaka, are undergoing treatment at hospitals across the country. So far, 75,280 people have recovered from dengue, according to DGHS, The Dhaka Tribune reported.

In the first 13 days of July, Bangladesh recorded 9404 cases of dengue and 46 deaths due to mosquito-borne disease. However, Bangladesh recorded 147 fatalities and 33,579 patients of dengue during the same period in August. Experts have warned that the outbreak could continue till November, with the peak expected this month.

According to DGHS data, Dhaka still remains the hotspot for dengue. Of the fatalities recorded so far in 2023, 301 deaths occurred in Dhaka alone. Bangladesh's capital accounts for almost half of the dengue cases. However, Bangladesh's Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque called the dengue situation in Dhaka "stable."

Zahid Maleque said, "Even though dengue cases are on the rise across the country, the situation in Dhaka is stable now," The Dhaka Tribune reported.

On August 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that a significant surge in dengue fever cases has gripped Bangladesh, according to the statement released by United Nations.

The WHO called for efforts to control the mosquito vector population and minimize individual exposure like using mosquito repellents and wearing long-sleeved clothes.

The WHO said, "The higher incidence of dengue is taking place in the context of an unusual episodic amount of rainfall, combined with high temperatures and high humidity, which have resulted in an increased mosquito population throughout Bangladesh."