Alarming rise in dengue cases: 1,568 hospitalised in August

The outbreak of the Aedes mosquito-borne viral disease is increasing across the country at an alarming rate as 1,568 dengue patients were hospitalised in the first 19 days of this month, while 1,571 were hospitalised in the entire month of July.  

A total of 4,228 people with dengue were admitted to health facilities across the country since January this year, according to the Health Emergency Operation Centre and control room of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Entomologists say the DGHS data about dengue patients does not give a complete or true picture of the dengue outbreak. The organisation collects data from only 47 hospitals in Dhaka and many private clinics in Dhaka remain outside its data collection efforts.

Entomologist Kabirul Bashar told The Business Standard that the data provided by DGHS is not correct as they only provide data of hospitalised patients. However, more dengue patients undergo treatment without hospitalisation.

He said, "If we compare Bangladesh with other countries, we find we have fewer dengue cases but more deaths, due to lesser awareness about dengue. Dengue patients can easily be cured if they get proper treatment and care. Delayed admission to hospitals increases the death risk for patients. Besides, data about dengue cases in other countries is more accurate and they act accordingly."

Fifty-four more dengue patients were hospitalised across the country in 24 hours until Friday morning. Of them, 46 patients were in Dhaka hospitals and eight were outside Dhaka, according to the DGHS.

As many as 398 dengue patients, including 335 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country. Some 3,813 people have so far been discharged from hospitals after being cured.

According to the DGHS, dengue cases have been reported in all the divisions except Sylhet. After Dhaka, the second highest number of dengue cases was reported in Chattogram division. So far, 542 dengue cases have been reported in the division and 10 dengue patients have died in its Cox's Bazar district. Then there are the Khulna, Barisal, Mymensingh, Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions respectively, with only 136 patients. 

The disease control unit of DGHS has started its Monsoon Aedes Survey-2022 from 13 August under the National Malaria Eradication and Aedes-borne Disease Control Program, which will continue until 22 August in 110 places of 98 wards in the two Dhaka city corporations.  

The DGHS conducted a 10-day pre-monsoon Aedes Survey-2022 from 23 March when they found 94.09% Culex mosquitoes in their traps, while the remaining 5.01% were Aedes mosquitoes.  Of those, 42.11% larvae of mosquitoes were found in under-construction buildings while 31.58% larvae were in high-rise buildings, which was more than in the previous year.

Entomologist Kabirul Bashar, associated with the survey, said that a little less Aedes larva were found in this survey than last year.

He told TBS, "However, it will be possible to ascertain dengue infections this season when the survey is done. We alerted the city corporations following the pre-monsoon survey and they launched mosquito eradication drives, which helped reduce the outbreak. Moreover, it has not been raining much for the past few days, which also helps diminish dengue cases."

From the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the geographical distribution of dengue cases reported worldwide, (May to July 2022) shows that 2,357,301 cases and 1731 deaths were reported worldwide as of 27 July. 

Brazil topped with the most cases (1827617), Vietnam (103433), Philippines (64797), Peru (56021) and Indonesia (52313). Brazil saw the most deaths (737), Indonesia (448), Philippines (274), Peru (65) and Timor Leste (56).