DENGUE MENACE Two more die in capital

The government on Wednesday increased dengue death toll to 47 from 40 on August 11.

Dengue killed at least 120 people across the country since January including two who died in the capital on Tuesday night and Wednesday, according to unofficial reports.

According to the National Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room of the Directorate General of Health Services 47 dengue patients died across the country since January.

DGHS assistant director and in-charge of the control room, Ayesha Akhter, said they confirmed the 47 deaths analyzing 80 reports of suspected deaths caused by dengue.

So far this year, the hospitalization due to dengue as of August 21 rose to 57,995, which is more than the total dengue hospitalization recorded in 19 years from 2000 to 2018.

In the past 19 years, the DGHS recorded 50,148 cases of dengue patients who were hospitalized.

The number of dengue hospitalized patients  in the country crossed 2,000 in the capital in each of 2000,  2001, 2004, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2017 and in 2018.

In 2000 the first dengue infection occurred in Bangladesh.

At least 93 people died of dengue and 5,551 were hospitalized in 2000, when the doctors in Bangladesh were quite unaware about how to manage dengue patients.

In 2001, at least 44 people died of dengue and 2,430 were hospitalized while in 2002, at least 6,232 were hospitalized and 58 people died, the 2nd highest since 2000.

The dengue infection started decreasing from 2003 when 486 patients were hospitalized and 10 of them died.

In 2016, the dengue hospitalization rose to 6,060 and 14 people died while in 2018, the hospitalization number jumped to 10,148 with 26 deaths.

No death from dengue were reported in the years of 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2014 while one person was killed in 2012 and two in 2013.

From 2000 to 2018, dengue killed 290 people and hospitalized 50,148 patients.

This year, the dengue outbreak took a dangerous turn as it has crossed all past records, apparently because of government agencies failure to take  the situation seriously.

While the dengue outbreak initially remained confined to the capital, as had been the case since the first reported occurrence of dengue in 2000, it spread across the country this year starting in the last week of July.

Dengue spread all over Bangladesh just in one week while its severity in outlying areas surpassed the situation in the capital.

DGHS director for communicable disease Dr Sanya Tahmina told New Age that dengue infections increased this year due to the weather condition favouring aedes mosquito breeding.

Aedes mosquito is the vector for dengue virus.

‘Intermittent rains coupled with humid weather facilitated the unprecedented dengue outbreak in the country, particularly in the capital, said Dr Sanya.

Aedes mosquito breeds in clean water in  abandoned small containers, cans, pots, cups, flower tubs, coconut shells and tyres at homes.

Unlike other mosquitoes, aedes bites mainly  during the  day and the peak biting time is two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset.

Eradicating Aedes larvae and destroying the breeding grounds is the best way to keep dengue at bay, said Dr Sanya.

‘If we don’t keep vigil and fail to destroy aedes breeding grounds, the dengue menace might get  worse,’ Dr Sanya said.

The number of dengue patients hospitalized in the districts swelled since July 8 when thousands of people left the capital for the countryside to celebrate Eid carrying dengue virus.

Between July 8 and 21, at least 14,147 dengue patients were hospitalized in the outlying districts and 11,499 in the capital, according to the control room.

So far 57,995 dengue patients were hospitalized this year, including 39,534 in the past 21 days of August alone and 16,253 in July.

The dengue cases are feared to have increased in September and October due to weather conditions.

The control room’s Wednesday’s report says in the past 24 hours ending 8am Wednesday, at least 1,626 new dengue patients were hospitalized including 915 in the outlying  districts and 711 in the capital.

At least 6,227 dengue patients were under treatment on Wednesday, including 3,360 in the capital and 2,918 in the districts.

On Wednesday, 13-year old Shahmun Shiraj,  son of Mamun Siraj of Uttara in the capital, died of dengue at Apollo Hospital, said the hospital duty manager.

He said Shahmun was admitted on August 18 with dengue and shifted to the intensive care unit on August 19 as his condition deteriorated.

On Tuesday night, a woman died of dengue at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said the hospital director Brig Gen AKM Nasir Uddin on Wednesday.

She was identified as Khadiza Akhter Nila, 27, wife of Md Monir Hossain of Dayaganj,  Gendaria in the capital.

Nila’s relatives said she was diagnosed with dengue during the  Eid vacation and was admitted to the DMCH on August 16 as her condition deteriorated and she died on Tuesday night.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net