Dengue hits Dhaka dwellers harder

Mosquito-born dengue fever has intensified in Dhaka city this year in comparison to past few years, said officials of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

According to DGHS, some 2,300 people have already been affected by dengue, a virus infected fever. Of them, three persons including a physician have died.

A person, 53, died on 25 April while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the capital. The other two died respectively on 28 April and 2 July while they were taking treatment at another private hospital.

The DGHS officials have warned the number of dengue patients may rise further this year.

They said dengue spreads through Aedes mosquitos. It generally intensifies between April and June. People are mostly affected in September-October.

According to statistics of Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room at DGHS, a total of 1,713 people were affected by dengue in June alone, which is five times higher than that of the people affected by dengue only in June in last three years.

In the first four days of July this year, some 358 people were affected and underwent treatment at different hospitals in the capital. A total of 142 people were affected on Thursday alone.

The DGHS collected information from 47 public and private hospitals.

Ayesha Akter, an assistant director of Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room at DGHS, said reports are being collected from many new public and private hospitals this year. So the increased number of patients is being recorded.

DGHS director professor Sania Tahmina said to Prothom Alo, “The density of population in Dhaka is very high. The environment in Dhaka is favourable for Aedes mosquitos' breeding. The construction is going on in the capital. Mosquito lays eggs on water in the construction area. So the intensity of Aedes mosquito is higher in the construction areas.”

In Dhaka North City Corporation, DGHS has identified some areas as breeding grounds for Aedes mosquito. The areas are: Tejgaon, Turag, Pallabi, Magbazar, Uttara, Gulshan, Banani, Kafrul, Khilgaon, Rampura, Mirpur, Pirerbagh, Mohammadpur, Shewraparam, Kazipara, Banani, Kazipara, Banani and Baridhara.

The areas in the Dhaka South City Corporation are: Doyaganj, Narinda, Swamibag, Gendaria, Dhakkin Mugdapara, Basabo, Maniknagar Biswaroad, She-e-Bangla Nagar, Hazaribag, Magbazar, Ramna, Segunbagicha, Shahbag, Farashganj, Syampur and Uttar Jatrabari.

A total of 74 dengue patients have been undergoing treatment in Dhaka Medical College Hospital till Thursday.

Eighth grader Newton Roy, a resident of Rampura, has been undergoing treatment at ward No. 602 of the hospital. His mother Auruna Biswas said she admitted her son with fever to the hospital on 30 June. My son was diagnosed with dengue. She said she lives at Ulon Road in Rampura, where mosquitoes buzz all around.

Auruna Biswas said she did not see the city corporation to spray mosquito medicines in the area.

While talking to Prothom Alo correspondent, five dengue patients, who are residents of Jatrabari, Khilgaon, Shahjahanpur and Madartek, said they are affected by mosquito menace.

They also said they did not see spraying mosquito medicines.

DNCC and DSCC chief health officials said they are working to tackle mosquitos.

The officials said they are launching awareness campaigns involving mosque Imams and school teachers.

Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) director Meerjadi Sebrina said to Prothom Alo, “The number of dengue patients will increase if the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes are not tackled.”

“If the affected people feel pain in the stomach and suffer diarrhoea, they have to be taken to hospital immediately,” said Robed Amin, associate professor of Medicine Department at DMCH.

This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam.