Dengue fever: 12 dead, 2,129 hospitalised in a day

At least 12 more people died from dengue in 24 hours preceding 8:00am today as the country grapples with a record outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease.

At least 2,129 dengue patients were hospitalised in the 24-hour period, according to data from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Dengue has so far claimed at least 790 lives this year and nearly 161,964 were infected, making this the deadliest year since the first recorded epidemic in 2000.

According to DGHS data, 9,891 dengue patients were undergoing treatment at different hospitals across the country.

Hospitals, especially in Dhaka, are struggling to accommodate the large number of patients suffering high fever, joint pain, and vomiting, health officials said.

The government has taken initiatives to limit the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, they added.

There is no vaccine or drug that specifically treats dengue, which is common in South Asia during the June-to-September monsoon season when the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the carrier of the deadly virus, thrives in stagnant water.