Changing the disease dynamics over the last two decades, dengue has taken the most disturbing form towards the end of the year as the number of deaths from the disease has surpassed all previous records.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) the official number of deaths till yesterday morning was 182.

The previous record of 179 deaths was documented in 2019. The country recorded the third highest annual deaths of 105 people in 2021.   

Bangladesh first experienced the shocking existence of dengue in the country in 2000 when the country recorded some 5,551 cases and 93 deaths.

The presence of dengue remained relatively low till 2018 and in 2019. The country reached an annoying statistic with the highest number of infected cases (101,354) and deaths (179) in 2019.

The record of highest infected cases in 2019 has remained untouched but thanks to the late season death toll that has broken the record of 2019.

DGHS data said the number of annual deaths was zero on 08 September but within two months it has just soared.

Bangladesh, in general, sees dengue cases from April to October and experiences a peak of dengue cases during June to September. But this year the higher infection rate was shifted to October and the surge is still continuing.

On 08 October, the number of deaths was 67. And on 08 November it reached 182 meaning 115 people had died in the last one month. It means nearly four people died each day.   

At present some 800 to 1,000 people are reported to be infected by the mosquito-borne disease.

Director General of DGHS Prof Dr ABM Khurshid Alam said due to climate change the country was having rains even after the rainy season had passed.

Delayed rain is giving more scope for the aedes mosquito for breeding and so the peak time of the disease has prolonged this year. At present the city hospitals are filled with dengue patients.

Public health expert Dr Lenin Chowdhury said this year Den-3 and Den-4 serotypes are infecting more patients and that is why the numbers of hospitalized patients and deaths are higher.

He also suspected that Covid-19 had weakened the overall immunity of the people making dengue more lethal this year.    

Line Director of Non-Communicable Disease Control Unit and DGHS Prof Dr Robed Amin at a programme at Bangladesh University of Health Sciences urged all to be careful about blood pressure, fatigue, sweating and nausea of any dengue infected patients.

“If the symptoms are observed in any of the patients he would need to be admitted and provided with fluid. Otherwise it could prove deadly,” he warned.

He, however, hoped that if there was no rain in November dengue prevalence would go down at the end of the month.