105 more dengue cases reported across country

Amid a rise in the number of dengue patients, authorities reported 105 more new cases in 24 hours until Sunday morning.

Across Bangladesh, some 460 patients diagnosed with dengue are receiving treatment for the disease as of Sunday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The vast majority of them are in the capital.

DGHS reports 454 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital, while just six patients were listed outside Dhaka.

Some 1,679 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January – 1,216 of them have been released after recovery.

The recent spike in dengue cases has added to the burden on healthcare providers as the country continues to grapple with the devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

DGHS spokesman and line director Dr. Nazmul Islam suggested testing for dengue as well as corona if someone has high temperature.

He also asked to take medicine on the advice of a registered doctor only in case of treatment. If necessary, one could take treatment by contacting the hotline number of DGHS.

The DGHS reported 1,193 dengue cases and three confirmed dengue-related deaths in 2020. It marked a dramatic and largely unexplained drop from the previous year, which was the worst year on record for dengue in the country.

Official figures state 101,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in 2019.

Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000, claiming 93 lives that year. In the years that followed, the country learned to deal with the disease much better, but it did become endemic. Fatalities almost fell to zero at one stage, before spiking again in 2018, leading to the horrific crisis the following year.