Dengue breaks previous death record

Syed Shemul Parvez :
The disease of dengue is going take the shape of epidemic in the capital gradually. The number of cases and deaths is increasing rapidly every day across the country.
Considering the intensity of dengue panic, most of the city residents are becoming worried.
According to the DGHS sources, dengue has bettered all the previous records of death as total deaths already reached 167 this year. But the previous highest record was 164 in 2019.
In this regards, experts said that the time of dengue infection and severity has also been changed recently.
Instead of July-August, peak infections now occur in October-November. This is happening due to climate change.
Their concern is that dengue infection may be present round the year, not in a particular season.
Bangladesh has been fighting against dengue for 22 years. Usually, the intensity of the infection was observed in June, July and August. When the rainy season ended, the infection would have subsided. But this year is an exception.
Patients’ number started increasing from July. The infection did not abate in September and in October, twenty-one thousand patients were admitted to the hospital and 86 people died that month. The outbreak of dengue has not decreased even in November. On an average, about 1,000 patients are admitted to the hospital every day. According to the health department, so many patients and deaths were not seen in October-November in 22 years.
India, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines also had high incidence of dengue this year. In those countries, the severity of the infection is also in November.
Experts blame the effect of climate change behind this. Entomologists worry, the dengue situation will not improve soon. They suggest a year-round program to control the disease.
In this issue, Entomologist Dr Khabirul Bashar, Professor of Jahangirnagar University told the New Nation that there are many causes for increasing Aedes mosquitoes in the capital. Effect of climate change is one of the major reasons behind it.
 There are two ways of controlling dengue situation. One is destroying the addis
borne lava, second is to confine the dengue patients into the mosquito-Net. Besides, any disease should be stopped at the very beginning before spreading it across the country.
 If we become failure to take these initiatives, situation may go out of control, he said.
Actually I have some practical experience in working at field level in the city. I saw many multistoried building where car parking and washing center established in the basement. Due to such activities, water accumulated there for long time which is also reason behind incrseing larvae of Aedes mosquitoes.
Dr ABM Abdullah, Emeritus Professor and personal physician of the prime minister, told media that city corporations and municipalities should take effective initiatives to control mosquitoes.
“If someone is infected with dengue, then they should eat saline and water. No painkillers except paracetamol should be taken. Dengue does not require antibiotics. If the fever is high, it is better to be admitted to the hospital, but most patients with dengue do not need platelets or blood transfusion.”
However, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has ordered free testing of dengue infection in all government hospitals of the country.
“In order to ensure proper treatment of dengue, free dengue tests will be offered at government hospitals across the country,” said Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam after a function at Hotel Intercontinental Dhaka on Friday.
Meanwhile, five dengue patients died while 788 were admitted to different hospitals across the country during the past 24 hours (till 8 am on Saturday).
“As many as 374 dengue patients were hospitalized in Dhaka city and 414 patients were admitted to hospitals outside Dhaka during the past 24 hours,” a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.