Dengue: 6 more die, highest single-day spike of 1,195 fresh cases reported

Bangladesh has recorded the highest single-day spike in dengue infections this year, with 1,195 people hospitalised in the 24 hours till this morning (9 November), according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

This surpasses the previous record of 1,162 cases reported on 2 November.

During the same period, six people died from the mosquito-borne disease, bringing the total number of deaths this year to 313. So far, the total number of reported cases has reached 78,543.

Among the latest fatalities, two occurred at the DNCC Dedicated Covid-19 Hospital, two at Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital, and one each at Mugda Medical College Hospital and Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Public health expert Dr M Mushtaq Hossain warned that lingering rainfall has created ideal breeding conditions for Aedes mosquitoes.

"Even after the rain stops, dengue will continue for at least two months — infections will peak in the first month and gradually decline in the next," he said, predicting that the outbreak may persist until mid-January.

"The key to dengue prevention is destroying mosquito breeding sites and maintaining cleanliness. We are removing one tonne of garbage, but ten tonnes are piling up. Routine cleaning is not enough — we need a nationwide cleanliness drive with thousands of volunteers," he added.

Calling dengue deaths "shameful" for a preventable disease, Dr Mushtaq said, "We have trained healthcare workers and modern treatment facilities, but deaths continue because we are not working in a coordinated way."

DGHS data show that 61.8% of this year's dengue patients are male, while 38.2% are female. Among the fatalities, 53.2% were men and 46.8% were women.

Last year, dengue claimed 575 lives across the country, with a total of 101,214 infections and 100,040 recoveries.