Dhaka, Sep 29 (IANS) As many as six people died due to dengue in Bangladesh in the 24 hours until 8 am (local time) on Tuesday, raising the fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in 2026 to 239, local media reported.
During the same period, 1,942 new dengue patients were admitted to hospitals in Bangladesh, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Among the total deaths, 52.9 per cent were women and 47.1 per cent men, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.
As many as 77,672 dengue patients have been hospitalised in Bangladesh since January 1. Among them, 72,008 people have recovered from the mosquito-borne disease.
As Bangladesh grapples with a worsening dengue outbreak, country’s Prime Minister Tarique Rehman on September 6 ordered the authorities to increase cleanliness drives and public awareness campaigns to prevent the spread of dengue, UNB reported.
Dengue is a viral infection caused by the dengue virus (DENV), which is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. There is no specific treatment for dengue and early detection and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates of severe dengue.
Bangladesh has reported a sharp increase in dengue deaths and cases in recent years compared with the 18 years from 2000-2018, local media reported.
Bangladesh reported 296 dengue deaths and 50,208 cases from 2000 to 2018. In the following seven years and nine months, the fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease rose to 3,466 deaths and 7,86,091 cases, Bangladesh-based The Daily Star reported. The dengue deaths in Bangladesh were about 11.71 times the earlier figure, while reported cases were about 15.66 times higher.
Public health expert Mushtuq Husain said that long-term, coordinated and people-centred public health programme was required for sustainable dengue control. Husain said Aedes mosquitoes had adapted to different environments and could breed even in small amounts of stagnant water and their spread was no longer confined to urban regions, The Daily Star reported.
Husain stated that the increase in population and repeated infections were further complicating the situation. He further said that people who were previously infected with dengue could again contract the disease, while communities with little or no previous exposure are also reporting dengue infections.
–IANS
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