Bangladesh, which is battling an outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease dengue, witnessed as many as 2,292 patients being hospitalized on Sunday. This is highest single-day hospitalisation this year.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), as of Sunday night, at least 176 people – 31 of them children aged below 14 – had died in 2023.
The DGHS says 115 of the total 176 deaths this year happened in the first 23 days of July. Last year, only 29 deaths were witnessed during the same period.
The South Asian nation has recorded 32,977 dengue cases and 25,626 recoveries this year.
The Aedes mosquito, a carrier of dengue, is found in standing water, mostly in subtropical climates.
According to experts, Dhaka, an unplanned city with thousands of buildings on construction sites and home to 17 million people, suits perfectly for mosquitoes to breed.
The DGHS record shows that 86% of the cases have been reported in Dhaka.
In 2022, about 281 people reportedly died due to dengue, the highest to date. Also, 62,423 dengue cases were lodged.
Meanwhile, the media reported that the South Asian country has been reporting thousands of cases daily since last week, and many hospitals in Dhaka are seeing a shortage of beds. Patients are being treated in hospital corridors.
South Asia generally witnesses dengue during July–September. However, many studies suggest that mosquitoes are now able to breed throughout the year. The phenomenon is attributed to climate change.