August sees over 16,000 dengue hospitalisations, including 550 in past 24 hours

The health authorities have reported another 550 dengue hospitalisations over the past 24 hours.

However, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported no dengue-related deaths during the period. 

The number of dengue patients recorded so far in August has surpassed 16,000.

According to the DGHS, 88 people have died from the Aedes mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh this year, including 34 in August.

The number of dengue patients by month this year was 1,081 in January, 409 in February, 353 in March, 640 in April, 714 in May, 2,907 in June and 9,206 in July.

A health directorate bulletin issued on Wednesday said that 550 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals across the country in the 24 hours from 8am Tuesday.

Of them, 49 were admitted to hospitals in areas under the Dhaka North City Corporation and 84 in areas under the Dhaka South City Corporation. Another 215 patients were admitted outside the two city corporation areas in the Dhaka Division.

In the other divisions, six patients were admitted in Barishal, 102 in Chattogram, 38 in Khulna, 45 in Mymensingh, eight in Rangpur and three in Sylhet.

Meanwhile, 627 dengue patients were discharged from hospitals during the 24-hour period.

DGHS data shows that a total of 26,272 people with dengue have been hospitalised in Bangladesh since Jan 1 this year. Of them, 24,374 have recovered and been discharged from these hospitals.

The DGHS has been maintaining records of dengue hospitalisations and deaths since 2000. The highest number of dengue patients -- 321,179 -- were hospitalised in 2023. That year also saw the highest number of dengue deaths, with 1,705 fatalities.

Last year, more than 400 people died of dengue, while around 102,000 cases were detected.