UNB :
Bangladesh has been witnessing an increase in the number of dengue cases over the past few weeks, with 21 patients hospitalized in the 24 hours till Saturday morning.
Among the new cases, 19 were reported in Dhaka.
Currently, 85 dengue patients are undergoing treatment at hospitals across the country, including 82 in the capital, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.
Since January, the health authorities have confirmed 846 dengue cases and 756 patients have recovered, the government said. The Dhaka North City Corporation started an anti-mosquito campaign from November 2, hoping to keep the number of dengue cases low this year.
Data provided by the Health Emergency Operations Centre and Control Room of DGHS show 219 cases were recorded in the first half of November.
In October, 163 cases were reported. The number was 47 in September and 68 in August.
This year’s only confirmed dengue-related death was reported in August.
In 2019, the country saw a massive outbreak of dengue that pushed the healthcare system to its limits.
According to official figures, 101,354 dengue cases were recorded with the mosquito-borne disease killing 179 people.
Bangladesh is currently grappling with the coronavirus pandemic and another large-scale dengue outbreak would be an unwelcome burden for the health sector.
