Dengue claims nine lives

At least nine dengue patients died in the last 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday, highest in a single day this year.

Moreover, 915 patients were also hospitalised during this time.

Of the deaths, one each was recorded in Barishal and Chattogram divisions, and the rest in Dhaka city.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services, with the new deaths, the total number of fatalities rose to 210, making it the third-highest death toll since the outbreak in 2000.

According to the DGHS, 1,705 dengue deaths occurred in 2023, marking the highest annual death toll to date. In comparison, there were 281 deaths in 2022 and 179 in 2019.

Meanwhile, total number of cases rose to 41,810, of which 23,851 are from outside Dhaka.

Currently, 3,651 dengue patients are undergoing treatment in different hospitals across the country.

A total of 37,949 dengue patients have been released from hospitals till yesterday this year.

Experts attribute the high mortality rate this year to factors including late hospitalisation, quick onset of shock syndrome, inaccurate test results, and recurrent dengue infections.

Besides, the ongoing rainy weather has worsened the situation, said experts.

Experts say such intermittent rain, coupled with high humidity, creates ideal conditions for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the primary carrier of the dengue virus, to breed. The rainy weather also increases the mosquitoes' biting tendencies, which will further escalate the dengue crisis.