Bangladesh recorded six more dengue deaths and 1,492 new hospital admissions in the latest 24-hour period, pushing the country’s death toll from the mosquito-borne disease to 139 this year, health authorities said Thursday.
The latest figures come as dengue infections continue to rise sharply across Bangladesh, with public health experts warning that September and October are historically among the most dangerous months for transmission.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services, or DGHS, two of the latest deaths were reported in Khulna division. One death each was recorded in Dhaka, Barishal, Chattogram and Rajshahi divisions.
Dhaka division, excluding the capital’s two city corporations, recorded the highest number of new hospital admissions in the latest 24 hours, with 327 patients.
Khulna reported 284 new admissions, followed by Chattogram with 202, Barishal with 178, Dhaka South City Corporation with 151 and Rajshahi with 122.
Another 81 patients were admitted in Dhaka North City Corporation, 80 in Mymensingh division, 54 in Rangpur and 13 in Sylhet.
The latest admissions raised the number of dengue patients hospitalized nationwide this year to 48,430, based on the DGHS totals reported through Wednesday and Thursday.
42 Deaths in First 10 Days of September
The pace of deaths has accelerated significantly this month.
As of Sept. 8, Bangladesh had recorded 130 dengue deaths this year, including 33 during the first eight days of September. Three more deaths were reported Wednesday, followed by six Thursday, bringing the September death toll to 42 in just 10 days.
Hospital admissions have also continued at a high level. A total of 9,629 patients were hospitalized during the first eight days of September. With 1,463 additional admissions reported Wednesday and 1,492 Thursday, the number of hospitalizations during the first 10 days of the month reached 12,584.
The rapid increase follows a steep rise that began in June. Hospital admissions increased from 2,907 in June to 9,206 in July before more than doubling to 20,536 in August.
Dhaka Accounts for More Than Half of Deaths
Of the 139 dengue deaths recorded nationwide from Jan. 1 through Sept. 10, 71 occurred in Dhaka division, including areas under the capital’s two city corporations, according to the latest DGHS report.
Khulna has recorded 25 deaths, followed by Mymensingh with 14, Barishal with 12, Chattogram with nine and Rajshahi with six. Rangpur and Sylhet have each recorded one death.
The distribution shows that while Dhaka remains the center of dengue mortality, serious outbreaks are affecting several regions outside the capital.
Experts Warn of Difficult September and October
Public health specialists have warned that the outbreak could worsen during September and October, when weather conditions in Bangladesh often favor the breeding of the Aedes mosquitoes that transmit dengue.
Jahangirnagar University zoology professor and entomologist Kabirul Bashar has said dengue control requires both reducing Aedes mosquito populations and preventing mosquitoes from biting infected patients and transmitting the virus to others.
He has called for greater emphasis on eliminating mosquito breeding sites rather than relying primarily on measures targeting adult mosquitoes. He has also urged authorities to adopt a coordinated, data-driven national strategy based on information about breeding sites, mosquito density and dengue cases.
Public health expert Lelin Chowdhury has similarly called for coordinated mosquito-control campaigns across Bangladesh, from major cities to rural areas, along with destruction of breeding sites, control of larvae and adult mosquitoes, scientifically selected insecticides and year-round prevention efforts.
The government has announced a three-month nationwide dengue-control program focused on cleanliness and public awareness. The campaign is scheduled to begin Sept. 12, with local administrations, city corporations, volunteers, students and other organizations expected to participate.
The latest six deaths, coming just two days after nine fatalities were reported in a single 24-hour period, underscore the continuing severity of the outbreak as Bangladesh enters what experts consider one of the highest-risk periods of the dengue season.
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