Dengue infection still unusually high

Dengue infection across the country is still unusually high – despite the significant decrease in the number of patients recently – compared to the numbers in previous years.

At least 1,833 dengue patients were hospitalised across the country in the first 11 days of November. The number was 1,192 in the entire month last year.

"With the fall of dengue cases, people have again become careless about this mosquito-borne disease. The mosquito control initiative on part of the government agencies has also slowed down.

That is why, dengue infection is still on the higher side," said Dr ASM Alamgir, senior scientific officer at the Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).

At least 150 dengue patients are still admitted to different hospitals across the country every day, which is quite unusual during this time of year, he added.

The number of dengue patients usually goes up in September and October, but this year the situation took a serious turn in August with the hospitalisation of at least 52,636 patients.

"It would not be correct to compare the current situation with that of August. But if we compare the infection rate this month so far with that of the same period in previous years, it is unusually high," said Dr Ayesha Akter, assistant director of the Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room at the Directorate General of Health Services.

Dr Ayesha Akter said the dengue situation is still not fully under control. This year as many as 2,500 dengue patients were hospitalised in a single day. Now it is less than 150. So, the situation has improved a lot.

She suggested continuation of the awareness programme as well as mosquito surveys and regular spraying of insecticide to control the disease.

In the last 24 hours from 8am Sunday to 8am Monday, 128 new patients were admitted to different hospitals across the country, according to the health directorate.

At present, some 755 dengue patients are undergoing treatment in different government and private hospitals across the country. Of them, 347 are in Dhaka and 408 are outside the capital.

Usually, dengue outbreak happens in June, increases in September, and then decreases in October.

This year, the outbreak started in May; the number of patients in early August was higher than the total number of patients infected last year.

Entomologist Professor Kabirul Bashar said from now on the mosquito menace will prevail round the year. When it rains, Aedes mosquito breeds more. Because of the rain in the last two days, the number of dengue patients may increase next week.

Kabirul Bashar emphasised that the mosquito-killing programme needs to continue round the year. If not, dengue patients will increase.

This year dengue spread across the country. So, there might be more dengue patients in villages next year, he added.

The health directorate said 97,929 dengue patients have so far been admitted to hospitals this year.

It has so far confirmed 112 deaths after analysing 179 death reviews. However, sources from the directorate's control room said to date they have received 251 reports of death caused by dengue.

In Bangladesh, dengue infection was first identified in 2000 when at least 93 people died and 5,551 were hospitalised.