Dengue deaths reach a historic high in September

The dengue outbreak has taken a serious turn here as the death toll and new cases continue to reach new highs regularly.

The previous month, September, recorded the highest single-month death toll in history, with a tragic total of 396 fatalities, pushing the preceding month, August, into second place with its 342 deaths.

A staggering 203,406 people have been hospitalised with dengue so far this year.

A severe dengue outbreak was feared in a survey conducted by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) at the beginning of the current year. It found an alarming presence of mosquito larvae in the city buildings.

Later, the subsequent surveys in June detected an even higher presence of mosquito larvae in the buildings.

It is a matter of concern that dengue has now spread to almost all districts across the country. The number of dengue patients admitted to hospitals outside Dhaka surpassed those in the capital by the end of July. The fatality rate is also rising in districts.

Public health experts feared that the dengue outbreak may persist for an extended period this time, given the ongoing intermittent rain and persistent high temperatures.

Bangladesh recorded 281 deaths last year. Previously, there were 179 deaths from dengue in 2019, followed by seven in 2020, and 105 in 2021.