Dengue death toll crosses 1000-mark for the first time

Staff Reporter :
Death toll from the dengue fever reached 1006 this year with 17 more fatalities reported in the last 24 hours till Sunday morning in the country.

Apart from these, 2,882 new dengue patients were hospitalsed during the same period, the data released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) showed.

Among the new cases, 629 were reported in the capital city and 2,253 were from outside of Dhaka.

The data showed also that a total of 9,357 dengue patients, including 3,120 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals in different districts.

The DGHS has recorded 206,288 dengue cases and 195,925 recoveries this year till the date.

According to health experts, the vector-borne disease hit Dhaka city in 2000 subsequently the dengue positive cases were detected in Dhaka city only.

But the dengue disease is changing its nature and it is gradually spreading across the country, they said, adding all 64 districts of the country have witnessed dengue positive cases.

The data also said that September has so far been the deadliest month for the dengue outbreak this year with 396 fatalities and 79,598 cases.

The month of August has been recorded also considered as one of deadliest months this year with 71,976 cases and 342 fatalities while, July alone recorded 43,854 dengue positive cases with 204 deaths, the DGHS statement read.

Talking to journalists, several entomologists said that dengue by now emerged as an epidemic as it spread all over the country but observed that the concerned agencies, particularly city corporations could not take required steps to annihilate mosquitoes.

According to hospital authorities, the pressure of dengue patients has decreased slightly in healthcare facilities in Dhaka city, meaning the dengue situation is on a decreasing trend in the capital city, while the number of dengue cases is increasing outside Dhaka city.