Health minister calls for precautions as dengue cases rise

The number of dengue cases is gradually growing over the past few days

Health Minister Zahid Maleque has asked everyone to take measures against dengue infection, which has shot up again in recent times.

“We’re noticing a rise in dengue cases recently. So we need to stay alert now. We’ve to keep our home and surrounding areas clean and sprayed [with insecticides]. Take care so that mosquitoes don’t bite,” he said while speaking at a programme at the Sonargaon Hotel on Sunday.

The number of people getting infected with the Aedes aegypti-borne disease has been gradually growing over the past few days.

As many as nine people got admitted to hospitals with dengue fever around the country over the past 24 hours to 8 am on Sunday, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.

A total of 1,089 people have been hospitalised with the disease this year and 596 of those cases were in Dhaka.

Currently, 73 patients are in hospitals around the country. Of them, 65 are in Dhaka. The health directorate reported 11 deaths due to dengue this year.

Last year, hospitals logged 62,382 dengue patients and a record 281 deaths due to the disease.