Kamruzzaman Bablu :
Dengue fever has so far claimed two lives infected 1,553 people in the capital from June 1 to 29, whereas the affected number was 161 in April, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
According to DGHS report, on June 29 alone 40 persons were affected by mosquito-borne dengue fever. At least ten persons were affected per day by dengue in the last week of June in the city.
The report further said, the number of dengue patients rises more than ten per cent by the month of May.
Although dengue fever continues to spread in the city with the advent of monsoon season, effective initiatives are yet to be taken by the two city corporations.
Such reluctance is reportedly causing anxiety to the dwellers of both Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations.
The Aedes mosquitoes breed in the country between January and August. The virus circulates in the blood of an infected person for 2-7 days and at the same time the person develops a fever, according to World Health Organisation (WHO).
It said, patients who are already affected with the dengue fever can transmit the infection via Aedes mosquitoes after the first symptoms appear.
“Since January 1 to June 29, more than 1,831 patients were admitted to different government and private hospitals in the city. Some 538 persons were released after taking treatment,” Dr Ayesha Akter, Assistant Director of Emergency Operations Centre and Control Room of DGHS told The New Nation on Sunday.
In January, 36 people were affected by dengue, while 118 in February, 12 in March, 44 in April, 139 in May and 310 till June 29. Among them, two patients died, she said.
Sources said, on April 25, a 53-year old man was admitted to city’s BRB Hospital and he died on April 29 while under treatment. Another patient got admitted in the hospital on April 28 and died a day letter.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Saturday told the Parliament that he could not place the budget because he was affected by dengue fever. As a result, for the first time in country’s history, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina placed the national budget for fiscal year 2019-20 on behalf of the Finance Minister.
According to health experts, mosquito-borne dengue fever has raised again in the capital following the variation in rainfall pattern. Generally, people in the city get affected with the dengue fever when monsoon begins since mosquitoes find a suitable atmosphere and spread the virus.
They said that authorities concerned should take prompt action to destroy the larvae responsible for the eventual spread of the dengue virus, and also raise awareness among the city residents.
Prof. Meerjady Sabrina Flora, Director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), said, people must keep an eye on their rooftops, unused containers, house yards, unused car tires, refrigerators and air conditioners and other places where water can remain stagnant for about five days.
According to WHO, once infected, humans become the main carriers and multipliers of the dengue virus, serving as a source of the virus for uninfected mosquitoes.
Since 2000, at least 270 people have died of dengue and 40,098 got affected in the capital, the official data revealed.
The first officially recorded epidemic of dengue was in 2000, while the highest number of cases reported in a single year was 6,132 in 2002.
“Aedes mosquito’s larva is grown more due to excessive temperature” Dr. Sania Tahmina, Professor of Diseases Control and Director of Health Department told The New Nation on Sunday. ‘Mass awareness is most needed to free from dengue infection,” she added.
