Dengue infection in the city is set to take even more serious as a new survey reveals very high density of Aedes mosquito eggs (larvae) in several municipal wards. The number of people admitted to hospitals with dengue infection this year is well on its way to exceed the highest annual total record of dengue cases in the last two decades, official data indicates.
Until Sunday since beginning of this month a total of 9510 people were reported to have dengue infection who were admitted to various public and private hospitals across the country. Eight people have so far died the dengue viral attack. The directorate of health services (DGHS) predict that with the alarming rise in daily infection rate there could be even greater number of patients leading to chaotic situation. The officials also said that panic is sending most people to seek hospital care.
When contacted for comments, Professor Abul Kalam Azad, Director General of Health Services told Bangladesh Post, “The dengue situation appears quite serious with increase in the rate of admission but we are well prepared to manage every admitted case.” Professor Azad also rejected media reports which terms dengue as reaching epidemic proportion. “We are nowhere even near epidemic level as the number of infection and the death rates themselves show.”
Meanwhile, according to Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) dengue infection in the country is ‘all time high’ and the situation is taking dangerous turn if not controlled immediately.
Professor Meerjady Sabrina Flora, Director of IEDCR told Bangladesh Post, “We are getting blood samples of all the infected cases in the country and the trend shows it is quite high compared to all the previous years.” She said, “The trend of infection from studying the infected virus shows that most of the people are experiencing secondary infection which is quite threatening. In fact, we have noticed that many of the cases are dengue shock syndrome (DSS) that leads to multi-organ failures.”
She said although dengue hemorrhagic fever that leads to bleeding under the skin, frequent vomiting and abdominal pain is less prevalent but it is equally life threatening. She explained that with secondary infection severity of the disease also increases often leading to fatal condition. She elaborated that out of four serotypes of strains of the virus it has been noticed that alternately one or more of the strains remain nonexistent and after a few years of gap it is reintroduced.
Meanwhile, a survey by communicable disease wing of the DGHS found high presence of Aedes mosquito in the capital. The department of communicable diseases conducted the survey from March 3 to 12. It studied water samples collected from 998 houses at 100 places under 97 wards of two city corporations in the city.
The survey found high level of eggs or larvae of Aedes mosquito in water collected from thrown away coconut shells, leftover food cans, abandoned tyres, plastic drums, buckets and open tanks in under-construction buildings and earthen tubs. Officials said that, the density of mosquito larvae in water was high in wards 1, 4, 19, 20, 16, 22, 23 and 35 of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and wards 4, 12, 17, 39, 6, 7, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22, 41, 43, 47 and 48 of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).
184 dengue patients in 8 districts outside Dhaka Doctors say all of them were infected in the capital Meanwhile, the number of dengue patients is also increasing in the districts outside Dhaka. However, concerned doctors said all the patients were infected in the capital city while they were staying there. A total of 184 people have been infected by the mosquito-borne disease in 8 districts namely Khulna, Mymensingh, Bogura, Noakhali, Pabna, Lakshmipur, Kishoreganj and Sherpur.
Khulna: Number of dengue patients in Khulana till date is 38. Till 20 July there were 21 patients in this district. More 17 people were attacked anew just in one week. Mymensingh: Some 22 dengue patients have been admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. Deputy Director of the hospital Dr Lakshminarayan Majumdar said all of those patients were infected in Dhaka and were admitted to the hospital after they had come to Mymensingh.
Bogura: A total of 39 dengue patients have been taking treatment at different hospitals in Bogura. On Thursday and Friday last 28 patents were admitted to Shahid Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital all of whom got infected by the disease in Dhaka, hospital sources said. Pabna: At least 30 dengue patients were admitted at Pabna 250-Bed Hospital in last three days. Many of them were released after primary treatment while 12 patients were admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital.
Noakhali and Lakshmipur: Some 33 people were admitted to Noakhali General Hospital and 6 patients are taking treatment at Lakshmipur General Hospital. One critically ill patient has been transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Kishoregonj and Sherpur: At present Bajitpur Johurul Islam Medical College Hospital has 13 dengue patients. At least 25 dengue patients took treatments from this hospital in last two months, hospital sources said. Three dengue patients are taking treatment at Sherpur General Hospital.
Authorities of all the mentioned 8 districts’ hospitals told newsmen that all the dengue patients who took treatment from them stay in Dhaka and got infected from the capital.
