Dengue: 3 more die, 735 hospitalized

 
Bangladesh has reported three more dengue-related deaths in the past 24 hours till Monday morning, alongside 735 new hospitalizations due to the Aedes mosquito-borne disease. The tally of hospital admissions has reached 46,786 this year, alongside 195 deaths. A health directorate bulletin on Monday said the three fatalities occurred at Mugda Medical College Hospital, Kalakini Upazila Health Complex, and the 250-bed hospital in Barguna.

The dead were all men, aged 75, 25, and 78.

Both the number of cases and deaths in September has surpassed previous monthly records for the year, marking a significant escalation in the dengue outbreak.

The total number of dengue patients admitted in September has risen to 15,310. This follows the earlier admission of 10,684 patients in July, 10,496 in August, 5,951 in June, 1,161 in January, 1,773 in May, 701 in April, 374 in February and 336 in March.

As many as 73 patients died in September, surpassing July's death toll of 41. The earlier months recorded fewer deaths, with 10 in January, three in February, seven in April, three in May, 19 in June, and 39 in August. No deaths were reported in March.

The latest bulletin also indicated that 221 of the newly admitted patients are from Dhaka's two city corporations.

Other regions reporting hospital admissions include Dhaka Division (151), Mymensingh (35), Chattogram (98), Khulna (41), Rajshahi (55), Rangpur (14), Barishal (115), and Sylhet (4).

As many as 2,407 dengue patients are receiving treatment in various hospitals across the country. Among them, 832 are in hospitals within Dhaka, while 1,575 are receiving care outside the capital.

The health directorate has been tracking dengue cases and fatalities since 2000. In 2023, the country saw its highest number of dengue hospital admissions -- 321,179 -- along with a record 1,705 deaths.