Sudden surge in Dengue patients

The number of dengue patients more than doubled in a month in the country, increasing by 235% in November, compared to the previous month.

Usually, the number is supposed to decrease at this time of the year, said experts.

Commenting on the sudden and rapid increase of dengue patients, preventive medicine expert, Lelin Chowdhury, said that the number of patients is expected to decrease with the onset of winter.

He told The Business Standard: "We have to come out of the pre-conceived notion that dengue will increase at a particular time of the year. From now on, we must be proactive throughout the year in preventing the disease. Everyone has to be careful."

Experts think that many dengue patients remain untraced as people are now afraid of going to the doctor or the hospital because of the ongoing Covid epidemic.

They also opined that the number of dengue patients is much higher and that the current figures do not reflect the true situation. There is no scope for negligence, the mosquito killing drive must continue.

According to data from Health Emergency Operations and Control Room under the Health Department, the number of dengue patients identified in November was 546, compared to 183 patients in October, indicating a growth rate of 235.56 percent.

Dr Md Robed Amin, from the Department of Medicine of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, told TBS, "We believe that the sudden increase in dengue infections could be due to the unusual rainfall recently. However, the situation will not be as severe as before."

He predicted that the breeding of dengue carrying Aedes mosquitoes would decrease during the onset of winter, and consequently, the number of patients is also expected to drop in December.

"Better prepare for next year from now," he added.

As of December 1 (Tuesday), according to the Department of Health, there are 94 dengue patients admitted in public and private hospitals across the country. 20 people have been admitted to hospital in the last 24 hours, all of whom are Dhaka residents. Currently, there are 72 patients admitted in Dhaka hospitals.

As on November 30, the total number of dengue patients in the country was 1,193. Seven people died from the disease during the month.

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam claimed that the October rains gave Aedes mosquitoes a breeding opportunity, causing a spike in dengue outbreak.

Calling upon all city dwellers to keep the surroundings of their house clean at all times, the Mayor said, "Aside from the regular activities, we have conducted six combing drives to kill mosquitoes. Special monitoring has been arranged in hospitals or homes with dengue patients. We are using the most effective medicine to kill mosquitoes."

Citing the awareness of city dwellers as the most effective dengue-prevention measure, the Mayor said, "Many are not yet aware, which is why we are being forced to take disciplinary action. Building owners with unclean and unhygienic establishments have already been fined more than one crore taka."

He said that apps have been used to identify dengue hotspots, which have been kept under close surveillance.

The biggest outbreak of dengue in the last two decades took place in 2019, infecting 1,01,354 people and killing 189.