Eight people died of dengue across the country on Wednesday and in one day 1100 people were hospitalised. The death toll from dengue surpassed 234 in the current year, according to media.
We express grave concern over the sudden surge in dengue fever that poses a potentially high public health threat. August and September are known as peak period for dengue fever in our country. The peak period has already expired, but the malady still persists and it shows no trend to decline.
We see no let-up in dengue outbreak as the number of dengue cases particularly in the capital city of Dhaka, towns, and remote places in the country. A total of 47,050 dengue cases have been hospitalised so far in the current year while a great number of patients are crowding hospitals and clinics across the country for treatment every day.
Autumn is set to end soon, but the downpour and cloudburst through this period and floods too inundated roads, educational institutions etc. in various parts of the country. The untimely heavy rainfall and floods this year predict that the ongoing dengue outbreak may prolong as a large number of Aedes mosquitoes is growing this year due to heavy rainfall.
A total of 10 teams under the Local Government Division (LGD) were working to control the spread of dengue as both infection and fatality rates were increasing sharply during the current month.
Of the ten teams, four were working in DSCC areas while three in DNCC and one each in Narayanganj, Gazipur and Chattogram city corporation areas. Besides, a separate team was formed for working in the high-risk areas and municipalities, including Savar, Dohar, Tarabo and Rupganj. But the authorities concerned completely failed to control the spread of dengue. It is feared dengue cases and deaths will exceed all previous records this year as the number of cases and fatalities continue to rise, ringing the alarm bell.
Rising temperatures and a longer monsoon in the country because of climate change are providing ideal breeding conditions for the dengue-spreading mosquito.
A total of 47,050 dengue cases have been
hospitalised
so far in the current year. While a great number of patients are crowding
hospitals and clinics across the country
for treatment every day
When the authorities of DSCC and DNCC continue claiming that their respective officials remain active in the field to eradicate Aedes mosquitoes, the infection continues to keep rising as people with dengue fever are being admitted to hospitals. It is not possible to eradicate Aedes mosquitoes without destroying the source.
City corporations and people will have to work together for destroying the breeding grounds and other sources of the Aedes mosquito. Besides, the city corporations must control the spread of dengue immediately at any cost.
On the other hand, we have noticed that even after repeated warnings, people are not becoming aware. The city corporations will not be able to protect the people unless they are aware of it.
The city dwellers must discharge their responsibilities properly along with city corporations, otherwise there is a risk that dengue could overwhelm healthcare systems.
Aedes mosquitoes lay their eggs in flower tubes, plastic containers, discarded tries, plastic drums, earthenware posts, buckets, tin cans, coconut shells or coconut garlands, containers, pots, battery cells, etc. Apart from the city corporations, the physicians and experts will also have to come forward in order to make peo0ple more cautious how the breeding ground and other sources of Aedes mosquito can be destroyed.
The city dwellers and city corporations should work together in order to clean all possible breeding grounds of Aedes mosquito to prevent any outbreak of dengue in the city and its outskirts.
