Hold onto your hats, Dhaka is in the grips of a dengue dilemma, and the numbers are soaring like a fever dream. Brace yourselves – we’re talking a whopping 300,000-plus cases of dengue, making it the nation’s worst brush with this pesky mosquito-borne trouble.
The dengue tally dance in Bangladesh is hitting 301,255, and the grim reaper has claimed 1,549 souls in its viral waltz, as reported by bdnews24.com. And if that’s not enough to send shivers down your spine, Sunday alone spat out 1,291 fresh cases, turning up the heat on this already scorching situation.
Hospitals are playing host to a staggering 4,949 patients, with Dhaka taking the brunt at 1,127 cases. It’s like a medical marathon, and the finish line seems nowhere in sight.
August kicked off the dengue drama with 71,976 cases and 342 fatalities, but September stole the spotlight, smashing records with 79,598 cases and 396 deaths. October kept the horror show alive with 67,769 cases and 359 casualties. November didn’t get the memo to calm down, clocking 30,080 new cases and 201 deaths in just 19 days.
Experts are pointing fingers at a prolonged monsoon, rising temperatures, and a lack of mosquito-murdering measures for this mosquito mania. The Aedes aegypti mosquito, the VIP carrier of the dengue virus, is having a field day, and it’s not the kind of party you want an invitation to.
A government-funded pre-monsoon survey of Dhaka sounded the alarm bells, revealing an alarming surge in the Aedes aegypti mosquito population, setting the stage for the worst dengue spread in half a decade.
Flashback to last year – 62,382 patients wrestled with dengue in Bangladeshi hospitals, and the death toll hit 281, the highest since the ’60s when they started keeping score. Dengue, they say, can be tamed with some vector management and Aedes breeding source reduction. But the experts are shaking their heads; they say the authorities’ moves are as effective as a mosquito in a hurricane.
So, Dhaka, tighten those mosquito nets, roll up your sleeves, and brace for impact – the dengue saga is penning a not-so-pleasant chapter in the nation’s health history.