Bangladesh records highest single-day toll of 5 dengue deaths

Dhaka, Aug 22 (IANS) Bangladesh recorded this year’s highest single-day toll of five dengue deaths, bringing the tally to 110, the country’s Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.

The official data showed 311 more new infections in the past 24 hours as of 8 a.m. local time Thursday, raising the total number of cases of the mosquito-borne disease to 27,782 this year.

Bangladesh recorded more than 100,000 cases and 575 deaths in 2024.

The South Asian country logged 1,705 dengue-related deaths in 2023, marking the highest annual death toll, Xinhua news agency reported.

Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes. The disease causes an acute illness with symptoms such as headache, high fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands, vomiting and rash.

The June-September monsoon period is the season of dengue fever in Bangladesh.

Dengue, a life-threatening disease caused by the mosquito-borne dengue virus, has become a severe problem in recent years in Bangladesh, a South Asian country. In this study, we have critically analysed the factors contributing to the escalation of the dengue burden in recent years in Bangladesh and discussed the strategies for effective control.

According to the World Health Organisation, the number of cases and deaths is higher compared to similar periods in the past five years. Dengue cases started to rise in May 2023 and have been continuing since then, and the peak is unlikely to have been reached. The reported number of dengue cases this year is the highest compared to the same periods recorded since 2000.

The cases are reported from all 64 districts in the country.

Cases in the Dhaka division started to increase in April 2023. The most affected area in the Dhaka division is the Dhaka city corporation, accounting for 52.8 per cent of cases and 78.9 per cent of deaths. Other affected divisions include Chattogram division (13.2 per cent of cases and 9.2 per cent of deaths), Dhaka division excluding Dhaka city (11.6 per cent of cases and 2.8 per cent of deaths), and Barisal division (10.5 per cent of cases and 4.3 per cent of deaths). The Sylhet division has the lowest number of cases (560), and no deaths have been reported so far.

–IANS

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