Spike in new dengue cases after Eid day respite

The number of patients hospitalised with the mosquito-borne dengue virus has increased after a drop on the day of Eid-ul-Azha.

A total of 1,880 new dengue patients were admitted to hospitals around the country in the 24 hours to 8am on Wednesday, rising from 1,200 on the previous day, according to the Directorate General of Health Services or DGHS.

The DGHS says a total of 755 dengue patients have been admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka, the epicentre of the disease, in the last 24 hours, up from 599 the previous day.

Dengue cases outside Dhaka also rose to 1,125 over the same period from 601 the previous day.

The total number of dengue patients hospitalised so far this year is 46,351 with 7,869 currently undergoing treatment at hospitals around the country.

bdnews24.com has recorded 121 fatal dengue cases reported by doctors and hospitals across Bangladesh this year. The government count, which is confirmed through reviews by a committee, has put the death toll at 40.

Ayesha Akhter, assistant director of DGHS, told bdnews24.com that aside from critical dengue patients, many have been admitted to hospitals with slight fever.

"As much as we are advising people to seek treatment for dengue at home and to only go to hospitals when the symptoms are severe, they are not paying heed. They are terrified of the consequences and so are getting admitted to hospitals."

A total of 1,558 patients across the country have been discharged from hospitals on Wednesday after recovering from the disease, according to the DGHS.

"The month of September is also a part of the rainy season. We will monitor the situation over the next seven to 10 days. Even though the number of new patients dropped during the Eid holiday, it could increase again."

"But our position at the moment is that the number of dengue patients is declining."