Dengue claims eight more lives, highest this year

Eight more dengue patients died in 24 hours till Thursday morning, raising this year's death toll from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 83, report agencies.

This is the highest death toll from dengue in a single day this year.

During this period, 765 more patients were hospitalised with the viral fever as cases keep rising, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Of the latest deaths, three were reported from Dhaka division and remaining five from Chattogram division.

Meanwhile, another report adds: Mirpur, followed by Uttara, has topped the list of Dhaka areas with the largest number of patients suffering from dengue, an aedes mosquito-borne disease.

Other areas of Dhaka with a large number of dengue patients going to hospitals are Mugda, Keraniganj and Jatrabari.

Outside Dhaka, the disease has also spread in Cox's Bazar.

At least 1,368 dengue patients were found in Cox's Bazar, Dr Ahmedul Kabir, additional director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), said at a media briefing on Thursday.

The number of deaths caused by dengue was highest in the Dhaka North City Corporation area this year. At least 18 dengue patients from the DNCC area died, while nine died in the DSCC area.

Dengue patients from outside Dhaka, however, died in larger numbers. At least 48 of 75 dengue patients who died this year were from outside Dhaka.

"We can see no downtrend and the number of patients is increasing by the day. We're putting effort to increasing the workforce and logistics to combat dengue. We're preparing to accommodate patients as we never know how many dengue patients will come to the government hospitals. We're trying to ensure that no patient returns home without receiving treatment," Kabir said.

DGHS data showed that people in their 20s contracted dengue more frequently than others but the death toll is much higher for older patients.

At least a third of the patients who died from dengue were in their 40s. Women were more prone to death due to dengue infection than men.

Most of the dengue patients who died did so within three days after hospitalisation.

A training programme is going on alongside an awareness raising programme about dengue, DGHS official Ahmedul Kabir said.

He stressed the need for raising public awareness about the disease. The DGHS also instructed the authorities concerned to prepare more hospitals for dengue treatment.