Reza Mahmud :
Intermittent rain is creating risks of dengue outbreak again in the country.
Amid a deteriorating situation of Covid-19 pandemic, the country is also witnessing a rise in mosquito-borne dengue with the stalk of the rainy season.
The monsoon has not started yet to flush away mosquitoes hubs across the city, as per experts’ observations.
The utility services are digging different streets as part of their renovation work which created big and medium holes across the city.
Those holes are filled with rain water which the mosquitoes usually are using for breeding.
Most of the holes filled with clean rain water are suitable for breeding of Aedes mosquitoes which is responsible for spreading of dengue and chikunguniya fever.
When contacted, Dr. Mukhes Uzzaman Hero, former Deputy Director of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital told The New Nation, “Clean stagnant water is the safe haven of Aedes mosquitoes breeding. The intermittent rain is causing clean stagnant water here and there in the capital. It create huge risks of spreading the dengue fever again in the country.”
The public health expert asked both the city corporations to take adequate measures for preventing further prevalence of dengue or chikunguniya amid the existing pandemic.
“If we are attacked by the dengue fever amid the pandemic, the health service system cannot bear it,” Dr. Hero said.
Directorate General of Health Services said about 45 dengue patients are undergoing treatment in hospitals in the capital. It said that 12 of the dengue patients were admitted in the last 24 hours in Dhaka.
No report of hospitalization with dengue came from other districts. A total of 247 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January and of them, 202 patients recovered so far, the data showed.
Data from the health authorities showed that 101,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in the country in 2019.
Meanwhile, about 1,193 dengue cases and three confirmed dengue-related deaths reported in last year.
After the huge infections in 2019, the authorities have taken cautious measures to tackle the further outbreak.
But the mosquitoes menace in the city proved that the measures are not sufficient.
Besides, a recent survey, conducted by the DGHS, found that four spots are hotspots for Aedes breeding in the two city corporation areas.
Experts and city dwellers fear that findings and said, many more areas are possible hotspots of the dengue outbreaks. They have asked strengthening measures to destroy all mosquitoes breeding hubs.
Atiqul Islam, Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation said DNCC is trying its best to eliminate mosquitoes.
Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh also said his efforts will be continued to destroy mosquitos’ hotspots.
