Dengue likely to worsen further

Reza Mahmud  :
Dengue likely to worsen this year as the infection is on rise across the country.
In the last 24 hours, the mosquito-borne viral disease killed 56 people in Bangladesh so far since January as four more died till Monday morning, official data showed.
Among the deaths, three died in capital Dhaka and one in Mymensingh.
At least 436 dengue patients were hospitalised in the past 24 hours. Among them, 174 were reported in Dhaka city and 262 in other places outside the capital city, said a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Dengue has killed 56 people and forced 9,193 to admit themselves to hospitals across the country this year.
On Monday, at least 1,531 dengue patients, including 1,022 in 53 public and private hospitals in the capital, were undergoing treatment across the country, the DGHS data said.
The data said also that 566 dengue patients were hospitalised in January, 166 in February, 111 in March, 143 in April, 1,036 in May, 5,956 in June and 1,215 in the first three days of July.

Public health officials and experts have warned that the dengue situation might get out of control this year when the monsoon sets in with heavy rains unless the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes is controlled.
When contacted, Professor Dr. M. Muzaherul Huq, former Adviser of the World Health Organisation (WHO) told The New Nation, “As mosquito spreads Dengue infection by their bites the breeding sites be destroyed to stop breeding and growing of mosquitoes of The Aedes variety.”
He said, the best is to use mosquito net or mosquito repellent in exposed places.

Contacted, Dr. Mukhlesuz Zaman Hero, former Deputy Director of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital told The New Nation, “The people should be aware more as they have also a responsibility to destroy Aedes breeding hubs surrounding their houses and residential areas.”
He said intermittent rain is responsible for breeding Aedeses mosquitoes while the blocking of drains and canals can increase the breeding of this mosquito variety.
Meanwhile, city corporations have taken cautionary measures to curb the Aedes mosquito breeding.

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has cancelled all vacations of its employees related with mosquito control activities.
DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam on Monday asked the city dwellers through a statement to keep the drains clear from the sacrificial animals waste.
“Please don’t through sacrificial animals waste to drains because it may block the drains and make it Aedes mosquito breeding hub,” the mayor said.