Bangladesh recorded more than 300 deaths due to dengue within a month
Astro Awani
October 2, 2023
People seek treatment for dengue fever at Mugda Hospital and Medical College, Bangladesh. - REUTERS photo
Bangladesh recorded more than 300 deaths due to dengue within a month
People seek treatment for dengue fever at Mugda Hospital and Medical College, Bangladesh. - REUTERS photo
DHAKA: Bangladesh continues to record its worst record for dengue deaths with 396 deaths in September, the worst month since 2000.
The Director General of Health Services (DGHS) of Bangladesh informed that almost 80,000 dengue fever patients were admitted to hospital last month.
While August saw 342 deaths due to the mosquito-borne disease.
Bangladesh health authorities reported 14 new deaths as of Sunday, including eight from the capital, Dhaka.
The development gives the impression that there are no signs that the situation will improve.
The number of deaths so far has reached 989 cases including 639 in Dhaka.
DGHS data revealed that the total number of dengue fever patients increased to 203,406 cases with an additional 2,425 hospitalizations.
Death and hospitalization rates are now at their highest levels since the country began recording dengue outbreak statistics in 2000.
Last year, Bangladesh reported 281 deaths from dengue.
This monsoon season with the unusual cold in Bangladesh makes it easy for mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus to breed in dirty and stagnant water.
The Ministry of Health is now struggling to contain the spread of the disease and hospitals across the country are experiencing acute overcapacity.
Dengue used to be a seasonal disease in Bangladesh, but due to warmer and wetter monsoons due to climate change, it has occurred more frequently since the first recorded outbreak in 2000.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said dengue infections were reported in all 64 districts of Bangladesh, with hundreds of patients flooding hospitals in the capital Dhaka for treatment, although many were already over capacity.
