835 dengue cases in 18 days

Amid the spiraling transmission of coronavirus in the country, the number of dengue cases is on the rise too. In the first 18 days of July alone, there have been 835 detected dengue cases. The dengue outbreak is basically restricted to the capital city. Most of the patients are in the capital Dhaka.

Over the past 24 houses, that is, from 8:00am Saturday till 8:00am, Sunday, 68 persons were diagnosed with dengue. While April to October is seen as dengue season, June to September is peak season. The intermittent rain over the past few days has boosted breeding of the Aedes mosquito. Experts say that because coronavirus and dengue have similar symptoms, extra caution should be taken if anyone contracts fever.

According to the Health Emergency Operations Centre and Control Room of the Directorate General Health Services (DGHS), 1207 dengue cases have been detected in the country between 1 January and 18 July this year. Of this, 326 were admitted to hospital yesterday, Sunday. And 322 of them have been admitted to various hospitals in Dhaka city. Of the remaining 4, two were admitted to hospital in Jashore, one in Gazipur and one in Mymensingh.

Details of patients suspected to have died due to dengue have been sent to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). However, IEDCR has not confirmed any deaths due to dengue this year as yet.

In the last week of June, the daily rate of dengue cases began to increase. From January to May, 100 were affected with dengue. In June alone, 272 patients were diagnosed with dengue. In July the number of dengue cases is on the rise.

The number of dengue patients reached a record in 2019. According to Prothom Alo and other media, around 300 persons died of dengue that year. The government put this figure at 179. DGHS records show that 101,354 persons were affected with dengue in 2019.

Last year the dengue outbreak was not that serious. The two city corporations had carried out a combing operation. Before the onset of the dengue season this year, the local government ministry had several preparatory meeting with the city corporations. The two city corporations of Dhaka every morning are carrying out larvacide drives to destroy the mosquito larva and adulticide drives to destroy the adult mosquitoes.

The two city corporations are also carrying out combing operations to destroy the breeding grounds of the Aedes mosquito that spreads dengue. They are also running mobile courts to this end.

Public health expert and member of DGHS’ public health advisory committee, Abu Jamil Faisal, said that if dengue cases begin to rise amid the coronavirus pandemic, patient management will go out of control. The city corporations’ drives to destroy mosquitoes are not visible. The people must also be conscious about keeping their surroundings clean and clear in order to prevent dengue.