City Desk :
Three more deaths were reported from dengue in 24 hours till Sunday morning, raising the number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 86 this year.
During the period, 478 more patients were hospitalized with viral fever, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), reports UNB.
Of the new patients, 157 were admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka, while the rest were outside in Dhaka, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Some 1,417 patients are receiving treatment in different hospitals across the country.
A total of 13,319 dengue cases and 79 deaths have been reported since January 1, 2024.
Last year, 1,705 people lost their lives due to dengue, making it the deadliest year on record.
The DGHS recorded 321,179 dengue cases and 3, 18,749 recoveries last year.
The deaths last year included at least 113 children. According to Save the Children, the majority of these deaths were of children under the age of 10, with 38 deaths among those under five.
“Children make up around 30% of all dengue cases in Bangladesh and are particularly vulnerable to the virus because of underdeveloped immune systems,” says Dr Shamim Jahan, Bangladesh director of Save the Children. “Those under five are particularly at risk from developing severe symptoms, such as dehydration and shock.”
Over the past few months, the surge in cases has pushed Bangladesh’s health system to the limit, with hospital corridors overflowing with patients as wards run out of beds.