Dengue spreads in 15 districts, 208 infected

At least 208 people from 15 districts have been reported to be infected with dengue as the mosquito-borne viral disease continues to infect hundreds of people every day in the capital and elsewhere, reports news agency UNB.

In Khulna division, 71 dengue patients were identified in Khulna, Jashore, Jhenaidah, Narail, Kushtia, Meherpur and Bagerhat districts in July.

Of them, 24 are being treated at Khulna Medical College Hospital, nine at Khulna City Medical College Hospital and three others at Gazi Medical College in Khulna.

Two people reportedly died of dengue so far in the division but the health department said the causes of deaths were not examined properly.

Khulna Health Department assistant director Ferdousi Akter said a dengue cell was opened on 3 July.

In Chattogram, the number of dengue patients increased in the last two weeks. Chattogram civil surgeon's office said at least five dengue patients are being hospitalised in the city every day.

So far, 49 people were diagnosed with dengue but two-thirds of them had been cured.

Civil Surgeon Azizur Rahman Siddiqui said 38 people were infected with dengue between 20 and 26 July.

Only three cases were reported in the last six months. On Friday, seven new dengue patients were identified, he said.

In Feni, 44 people were admitted to the Sadar Hospital with dengue fever in the last 15 days. Ten of them have been shifted to Dhaka while the Sadar Hospital is treating 21 others, said resident medical officer Abu Taher Patwari.

Civil surgeon Neyatuzzaman said patients, who are being treated, were infected during their stay in Dhaka or Chattogram.

In Rangpur, 21 people were admitted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital in the last eight days.

Acting director of the medical college hospital, Sultan Ahmed, said the patients were out of danger.

In Sherpur, three people were diagnosed with dengue.

Resident medical officer (RMO) Khairul Kabir Suman said all of them had returned home with heavy fever from Dhaka.

In Pirojpur, a dengue patient was hospitalised in Swarupkathi upazila, said Asaduzzaman, RMO of the Upazila Health Complex.

It is the only reported case in the district.

In Pabna, 12 people were admitted to the Sadar Hospital in the last four days. Most of them recently returned from Dhaka.

Nazmul Islam, medicine specialist of Sadar Hospital, said 10 of them were infected with dengue in Dhaka. Besides, two locals were also hospitalised with dengue fever.

Civil surgeon Mehedi Iqbal said there is no reason to worry.

In Lakshmipur, six dengue cases were reported until Saturday afternoon. A patient was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated, said Anwar Hossain, resident medical officer of Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital.

In Cox's Bazar, a young girl died of dengue on Saturday afternoon. Nineteen-year-Old Ukino Nushang was a first-year student of Jahangirnagar University.

Md Mohiuddin, caretaker of Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital, said she was diagnosed with dengue on Friday night. On Saturday, she was referred to Chittagong Medical College Hospital as her condition deteriorated. She died on the way.

No other case of dengue infection was reported in the district, added Mohiuddin.

In Chandpur, 18 people have been infected with dengue. Of them, five people were hospitalised on Saturday, said Medical Officer Nazmul Hossain.

What is dengue? 

Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infection, causes a flu-like illness, and occasionally develops into a potentially lethal complication called severe dengue.

Dengue viruses are spread to people through the bite of infected Aedes species mosquitoes. It is estimated that about half of the world's population is now at risk, according to the World Health Organisation.

There is no specific treatment for dengue or severe dengue, but early detection and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates below 1 per cent.

Each year, up to 400 million people are infected with dengue, according to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Approximately 100 million people get sick from infection, and 22,000 die from severe dengue.