Dengue Outbreak: Rain brings fresh concern

Though the number of dengue patients has been declining for the last one month, the rain for the last one week is increasing the risk of further dengue spread, experts say.

They also suggested continuing effective measures by all so that the number of dengue patients does not rise.

According to Directorate General of Health Services, 326 new patients were admitted to hospitals across the country in 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday. With them, the number of patients who were hospitalised with the mosquito-borne disease rose to 89,347.

The unofficial number of deaths from dengue is now 158. However, the official figure is 81.

“This spell of rain will increase the density of Aedes mosquito if the authorities concerned as well as people from all walks of life do not continue their efforts to control the Aedes mosquito,” said Prof Kabirul Bashar, an entomologist of Jahangirnagar University.

He said the drive against the mosquitoes would have to go on at least this month to maintain the declining trend of dengue patients.

This rain will help increase the breeding sources of the mosquitoes and the authorities concerned and the people will have to destroy the sources, he said.

Kinkar Ghosh, an epidemiologist at Dhaka Shishu Hospital, said as the people and the authorities concerned were very alert, the number of dengue patients last month was lower than that of August.

In August, there were 52,636 dengue patients across the country, while the number was 18,250 last month.  

According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Dhaka experienced a small amount of rain on Tuesday and 46 millimetre rainfall the next day. The city also witnessed 19mm rainfall in the last 24 hours till 6:00am yesterday.

Mohammad Shaheenul Islam, a forecasting officer of the Met Office, yesterday said it might rain across the country, especially in Dhaka, till 12 this month. Dhaka may experience heavy rain on 7 and 8 this month, he said.

Entomologist Manzur Chowdhury, former president of Geological Society of Bangladesh, said, “We have to give emphasis on larviciding as well as cleaning activities round the year to control the mosquitoes.”

Only cleaning is not enough to control the mosquitoes. Cleaning and using insecticides are both very important to control it, he said, adding that the latest pesticides will have to be available so that people can purchase those easily and use those at their houses.

Around a week ago, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon said they were working to prepare a five-year development project proposal (DPP) to control the Aedes mosquito.

Under the project, an integrated research centre named Communicable Disease Control and Research will be formed under a separate department, he said.

“We will recruit necessary manpower like entomologists for the department to conduct research and will take steps accordingly,” he said.

It will take around 10 days to prepare the DPP, which will be submitted to the Local Government Division, he said, adding that they would start their work after the DPP’s approval at Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) meeting.

Last month, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam said apart from the annual budget, they were planning to keep a separate budget for controlling the Aedes mosquito under a project.

“Experts like entomologists and doctors have been working to prepare a master plan for Integrated Vector Management, which will be completed shortly,” he said.