Dengue: 12 deaths per day on average in October

Dengue continued to claim lives at an alarming rate in October, though the casualties from the mosquito-borne viral disease were expected to decline now in line with its conventional nature.

With 20 new deaths reported on Saturday, the total number of deaths in the current month has reached 257, rendering an average daily death toll of 12.

There has been a steady uptick in dengue casualties since June. The average daily deaths were at 11 in August, and it rose to 13 in September.

With more than a week remaining in the current month, October is expected to register an even higher average in dengue deaths. The dengue situation is acute particularly outside the capital city.

Experts have described the situation as concerning and have alleged that the authorities did not take the necessary measures to contain the disease. They feared that the situation may remain unchanged due to the ongoing intermittent rain.

This year, the death toll has already reached an all-time high of 1,246, while the total number of dengue cases has reached 252,990.

Historical data suggests that dengue casualties typically decrease in October, but the scenario is quite different this time with no sign of respite.

A total of 49,584 dengue patients have been hospitalised in the current month, resulting in an average daily hospitalisation count of 2,361.

Still, the health authorities have no specific explanation for the high casualties this year. The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control, and Research (IEDCR) said the DenV-3 variant of dengue is more active this time and it causes serious health complications in the human body.