Dengue cases, deaths in August surpass all previous records
Over 71,000 dengue cases, 342 deaths recorded in August
The number of dengue cases and deaths in August has surpassed all previous records.
This month alone, the count of dengue cases exceeded 71,000, marking an increase of one and a half times compared to the previous month of July.
Equally concerning is the death toll, as the reported number of fatalities reached 342 in the 31 days of the month.
The number of dengue cases and deaths this year has also broken all past records. To date, 1,23,808 people have been admitted to the hospital due to dengue and among them, 593 people have died.
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In recent years, the highest recorded dengue-related deaths occurred in 2022 when 281 people died out of 61,000 patients.
Earlier in 2019, during the biggest outbreak of dengue on record, 1,01,354 people were infected and 179 people died.
Khalilur Rahman, former chief entomologist of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), explained to the Business Standard that the dengue situation may improve during the winter season, as patient numbers decline once temperatures drop below 15 degrees Celsius.
"Combating dengue requires public engagement, and so city corporation councillors must go to various neighbourhoods and convince residents to participate. It is imperative to eradicate mosquitoes within homes and in rural areas," he advised.
Meanwhile, 17 more dengue patients died and 2,308 were hospitalised across the country in the last 24 hours till Thursday morning.
Of the new cases, 875 were reported in Dhaka city and 1,433 were from various parts of the country.
So far 1,14,837 dengue patients were released from hospitals in the country this year.
A total of 8,378 dengue patients, including 3,817 in Dhaka, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country, shows the DGHS data.
