Dengue claims 8 victims in 1 day, fear grows
Already 83 people have died since the beginning of the year and the spread of the disease is steadily increasing beyond normal seasonality. Experts: an effect of climate change. Epicentre in the capital, followed by the district of Cox's Bazar. The mortality rate is higher in the 40-50 age group.
Dhaka (AsiaNews) - After the Covid-19 pandemic, the new spectre for Bangladesh is called dengue fever. In the last 24 hours, eight people have died from this fever. Never before have so many deaths been seen in a single day, and the total number of victims since 1 January has risen to 83.
According to data released by Dr Zahidul Islam, head of the Health Emergency Operations Centre, 765 people have been newly admitted to hospital due to dengue: 497 among residents in Dhaka and 268 outside Dhaka. The number of patients throughout the country has thus risen to 2,695. Dhaka is the hottest point of infection, followed by Cox's Bazar, the district that also hosts the Rohingya camps.
Among the 83 dengue victims, at least two are Catholic children: Dia Rozario, 10, died on 23 September and Singdha Gomes, 7, died on 22 August. Both are from Tejgaon parish in Dhaka. They had been admitted to hospital, but could not be saved.
According to information from the Department of Health, 23,282 people have been hospitalised due to dengue since the beginning of the year. Of these 20,504 have recovered and been discharged. It is feared that this year's epidemic in Bangladesh could be prolonged and the infection situation could become more complicated. Usually, outbreaks of this mosquito-borne disease occur from April to September. Instead, the infection curve in mid-October is rising.
Ahmadul Kabir, Deputy Director General of the Department of Health, said that due to climate change, dengue outbreaks have occurred in places where this disease did not exist before. Moreover, most of the patients who came to the hospital had already been infected with dengue once or more in the past. This shows that the symptoms are more acute.
However, Kabir assures that the dengue situation in the country is still under control, urging people not to panic. "Since the number of sick people is constantly increasing," he said, "we have instructed the government hospitals to make sure that no patient has to go home without treatment. They will provide the necessary manpower, beds and logistical support."
According to the Department of Health, most dengue victims are over 20 years old. Mortality is highest in the 40-50 age group. 35% of the patients who died were children under the age of 18. Due to the delay in getting affected patients to hospital, many people die within three days of admission. The population uses mosquito nets, insecticide sprays and other materials to protect themselves.
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