Staff Reporter :
Dengue is taking a terrible shape in the capital city day by day. Higher rates of dengue outbreak have been reported from the city’s Jatrabari, Mirpur and Uttara areas, a survey report of the Department of Health said on Sunday.
Deputy Program Manager of the National Malaria Eradication and AIDS Outbreak Program Dr. Afsana Alamgir Khan presented the survey report titled ‘Monsoon Aedes Survey 2021 and Current Situation of Dengue’
She said that Basabo, Rampura, Khilgaon, Mugda, Wari, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Magbazar and Paltan area are also getting more dengue cases daily.
According to the survey, Aedes larvae was found more in 26 sites of Dhaka North City Corporation and 30 sites of South City Corporation. During the survey, Aedes larvae was not found in 3,412 households and larvae was found in only 558 households. The presence of Aedes larvae is most common in multi-storey buildings.
Most prevalent larvae was also found in the under construction buildings.
This information was obtained by conducting a 10-day long survey in 98 wards of both Dhaka North and South City Corporations.
According to the survey, outbreaks of dengue have increased in June, July and August this year.
5,093 dengue patients have been identified in August alone. However, 83.99 percent of dengue patients are recovering and returning home. In August 2020, there were only 562 infected patients.
Reducing the outbreaks, Afsara Alamgir Khan said, mass awareness is needed to so that Aedes mosquitoes do not grow in stagnant water. In addition, the allocation should be increased throughout the year to kill Aedes mosquitoes.
We have to work in coordination with different agencies of the government. There needs to be strong measures to monitor the dengue situation. At the same time, data management needs to be strengthened, she added.
It is mentionable that about 35 dengue patients died since January 2021. Of the total deceased, 12 died in July and 23 in August, according to the Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room of the Directorate General of Health Services.
