Dengue death toll rises to 556
The death toll from dengue infection rose to 556 as the country reported eight new deaths in the last 24 hours till Monday morning.
During the period, 2,331 more patients were hospitalised with the viral fever, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Of the new cases, 918 were reported in Dhaka city and 1,413 were from various parts of the country.
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Hospitalised patients and fatalities have reached unprecedented levels in Bangladesh's history. DGHS has expressed concerns that the numbers might escalate further due to the rising number of infections across the country.
According to Professor Dr Ahmedul Kabir, additional director general (administration) of DGHS, the health authority is grappling with the challenge of managing patients.
"The efforts taken by the two city corporations of Dhaka to combat dengue have proven ineffective, resulting in a complex dengue outbreak this year. City corporations need to act smarter than the mosquitoes," he quipped.
"The specific type of dengue that has surfaced suggests that victims will experience even greater shock in the upcoming year. The circumstances are expected to deteriorate due to the widespread transmission of the infection across primary, secondary, and tertiary stages. In cases of dengue, the focus should not primarily be on platelet counts; rather, effective fluid management is the primary concern," emphasised Dr Kabir.
So far 1,08,074 dengue patients were released from hospitals across the country this year.
In addition, 1,16,842 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals this year, according to the DGHS data.
Comparatively, the highest number of dengue cases ever was recorded in 2019, with a reported count of 1,01,354.
The country recorded 281 dengue deaths in 2022, the highest on record after the 179 deaths recorded in 2019.
