Bangladesh hospitals admit 237 dengue patients in a day, highest in 2021

As many 237 new dengue patients have been hospitalised in Bangladesh, a single-day record in 2021.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 1 August 2021, 03:08 PM
Updated : 1 August 2021, 03:08 PM

Most of the cases, 218, were detected in Dhaka in the 24 hours to 8am on Sunday amid growing concerns over the spread of the mosquito-borne disease.

The number of patients hospitalised with dengue this year rose to 2,895.

They include 862 who were still undergoing treatment on Sunday.

Only 34 of them are in hospitals outside Dhaka, but the number has grown in comparison to the figures of the previous days. 

The government’s disease control agency IEDCR has received reports of four deaths from dengue fever this year, but it has not yet confirmed the reports after review.

In the first six months of the year, Dhaka hospitals recorded only 372 patients with dengue, but the number surged to 2,090 in July.

Bangladesh saw its worst dengue outbreak in 2019 when more than 100,000 cases were detected. The tally of hospitalised patients declined to 1,405 a year later.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, dengue poses a far greater threat to the children, experts say.

As the entire health sector is working to combat the surge in COVID-19 cases, dengue patients are getting diagnosed later and suffering more.

Experts are worried about the massive pressure on public healthcare system as it tries to handle the dual challenges of the pandemic and the massive spike in dengue cases in July.

Doctors at government and private hospitals in Dhaka reported an increase in the inflow of dengue patients over the past few days, including children.

Children manifesting dengue symptoms like fever, headache, pain in the eyes, body aches, bleeding from the mouth, swollen stomach, swellings and rash are visiting hospitals.