DHAKA, July 22, 2023 (BSS) - July has already become the worst month as the authorities recorded 109 deaths from dengue and 20,465 positive cases in the past 21 days.

 According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 156 deaths were reported from dengue disease between January 1 and July 21, this year while 28, 443 dengue patients died during the same period. 

Among the total deaths since January 1, the month of July alone witnessed 109 deaths linked to dengue simultaneously 20,465 positive cases were recorded, the DGHS added. 

Month-wise data of dengue disease-2023 showed 566 dengue patients were detected in January with six fatalities, 111 cases with zero deaths in February, 143 cases with two deaths in March, 50 cases with two deaths in April, 1036 cases with two deaths in May and 5,956 cases with 34 deaths. 

 In comparison, last year was less severe in terms of dengue positive cases and death figure as 268 patients died and 62,382 cases were recorded, the DGHS data said adding in 2019, the country saw the highest number of dengue cases -- 101,354, with 179 deaths. 

Health experts feared August and September will be more severe as these two months are more suitable for breeding Aedes mosquito. 

"The number of dengue patients had been increasing alarmingly since January this year giving a signal of dengue pandemic during rainy season as 566 dengue cases were reported in the first month of the year, which are almost five times higher than that of same period of past three years," a DGHS official added. 

As many as 177 dengue positive cases were recorded in January 2020, 21 cases in January 2021, 126 cases in January 2022 while 566 dengue patients were detected in January 2023, Professor Dr. Md. Nazmul Islam, Line Director, Communicable Disease Control (CDC) of Director of Directorate General of Health Service, told BSS. 

He said both city corporations have to play a leading role in curbing dengue diseases, saying: "The city corporations have an authority to develop a mechanism to handle the mosquito-borne disease."

The health expert said, "If we can be able to kill Aedes mosquito completely or destroying potential breeding grounds, we can prevent the disease...but it is a huge task to eradicate Aedes mosquito completely."
He said social movement incorporating all levels of people in society including religious leaders should be launched to destroy breeding sources of Aedes mosquito. 

Dr M Mushtaq Hussain, adviser of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), said, "Dengue infection rate will increase during the rainy season, if we do not take proper measures to halt the spread of the disease."

He laid emphasis on taking integrated efforts to tackle dengue disease and said that it is impossible for a single institution to handle the menace. 

IEDCR advisor suggested the people, suffering from fever or other health complications, must visit doctors for detection of dengue infection, saying early detection of the mosquito-borne disease through performing tests is the best way to get remedy from the disease. 

The DGHS is constantly mapping overall dengue situation and it is taking initiative accordingly to expand treatment facilities to handle the mosquito-borne disease.

As part of expansion of healthcare facilities, he said, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) hospital at Mohakhali with 800-bed capacity has been dedicated for ensuring medical facilities to treat dengue infected people, the top official of DGHS said.