Diarrhoea surge continues in Dhaka for a month

The wave of diarrhoea cases that started in Dhaka and surrounding areas in mid-March is showing no signs of ebbing after nearly a month.

Although doctors said the number of patients decreased slightly at the Dhaka Hospital of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, or icddr,b, in the past three days, the daily average of admissions from Apr 1 to Tuesday remained almost unchanged at nearly 1,300.

A young man from Demra died from diarrhoea at the hospital on Tuesday. Dr Baharul Alam, head of hospitals at icddr,b, said the patient was admitted in a critical condition in the afternoon and transferred to the ICU when his condition deteriorated further.

He said doctors believe a cardiogenic shock due to diarrhoea caused the patient’s death.

The doctor said the number of hospitalised cases neared 1,400 at one stage. “Now it has ebbed slightly. Usually a diarrhoea outbreak ends six to eight weeks after it begins. So, the situation may continue for some more days,” he warned.

Patient Nazma Begum of Mohammadpur was admitted to the ICU of the hospital at night. “She has been having loose bowel movements since having her Iftar. We brought her to the hospital after her condition got worse. The doctors put her in the ICU. She is slightly better now,” said her husband Abdul Quddus.

Momin and his mother Julekha, both of whom gave single names, came from Narayanganj. Momin said he caught diarrhoea on Monday morning. His mother contracted the disease the next morning. “My mother’s health worsened much. She vomited many times, so I brought her to the hospital.”

Rina Begum brought her 12-year-old son Mohammad Tofazzal from Notun Bazar. She said Tofazzal was released on Tuesday morning, but she brought him again as his health worsened again after returning home.

The icddr,b says diarrhoea cases go up every two years, but the spike this year is unprecedented. Doctors said most of the diarrhoea patients in Dhaka are being infected through polluted water and stale, unsafe food.

Experts also warned all about the risks involving uncovered street food used for Iftar during Ramadan and asked all to shun unsafe water outdoors. They advise people to carry safe water from home while going out.