Dengue now in 57 districts

Dengue has spread to 57 districts, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque yesterday as the country recorded its highest number of deaths and hospital admissions this year from the mosquito-borne disease.

In the 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday, six dengue patients died, while 832 new patients were hospitalised, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.

With the latest count, the fatalities from the disease rose to 72 and the number of hospitalised patients hit 12,954. And 2,750 patients were undergoing treatment in hospitals as of yesterday morning, with 1,967 of them being in 53 Dhaka hospitals.

On July 4, five people died from the disease and on Saturday, 820 patients were admitted to hospitals.

Of all dengue cases, 60 percent are in Dhaka, Maleque said while talking to journalists at his residence in Manikganj yesterday.

This year, the number of dengue cases is higher than last year, but it is yet to hit its peak as August-September is the prime time for dengue outbreaks.

Last year, 281 people died from the disease and 62,382 others were hospitalised. Hospitalisations from the disease started in May and peaked in October.

But this year, hospitalisations began in April.

"Those who were infected once are at high risk of death if infected the second time. So, we have to be aware of it," he said, adding that the physicians and nurses have adequate training to handle dengue cases.

As of yesterday, Mugda Medical College Hospital had the highest number of dengue patients of 414, followed by Dhaka Medical College Hospital with 221.

The higher dengue prevalence is due to the huge breeding of Aedes mosquitoes for the rain, so it is imperative to take steps that rainwater does not remain stagnant anywhere, Maleque added.

Maleque went on to urge the city corporations and the municipalities to spray mosquito repellents frequently.