At least five people, including four from the coastal district of Barguna, died of dengue in the 24 hours till 8:00am Friday, taking the total deaths from the disease to 28, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.
Amid the growing outbreak, 159 new hospitalisations were recorded, raising the total number of dengue patients to 5,570 since January.
Notably, 4,255 of those cases are from outside Dhaka, highlighting the virus鈥檚 shift from urban to rural areas which concerned the public health experts.
Of the 28 dengue-related deaths reported this year, 12 occurred outside the capital, deepening concerns over the disease鈥檚 expanding reach and rural health system vulnerability.
Experts observe that the actual number of dengue patients and deaths outside the capital is most likely to be much higher because the major healthcare facilities are still Dhaka centric.
Barguna, where at least five people died and 1,705 people were hospitalised this year till Friday 8:00am, is one of the epicentres of dengue this year. The infection is wreaking havoc in other districts as well that include Patuakhali with 304 dengue hospitalisations, Pirojpur with 113 hospitalisations, Madaripur with 114 and Cox鈥檚 Bazar with 118 hospitalisations during this period.
Barguna civil surgeon Muhammad Abul Fatha told 抖阴精品 on Friday that the district was witnessing a聽 fresh dengue outbreak, causing it to struggle to accommodate the increasing number of patients.
鈥楢n entomological and virology study is a must to understand the reasons and way out,鈥� he said.
Public health experts and authorities are increasingly voicing their concerns over the unusual spread of dengue fever to rural areas.
Entomologist at the National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine Golam Sarwar told 抖阴精品 that traditionally dengue is an urban-centric disease, but now it was spreading to the remote regions, straining limited preventive measures and healthcare resources outside the capital.
鈥楧engue control measures are better in Dhaka compared with areas outside the capital, rural areas in particular,鈥� said Golam Sarwar, adding that the government agencies must work collaboratively to tackle the situation.
Experts attribute the spread of the disease in the rural areas to changing climate patterns, inadequate vector control and increased movement between cities and villages.
Public health officials are urging immediate preventive measures, including community awareness, improved sanitation and widespread mosquito control efforts to contain the growing risk.
Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research director Tahmina Shirin said that they did not have any study on how and why dengue was rapidly spreading to villages.
鈥榃e are doing only monsoon survey. We have no budgetary allocation to do more,鈥� she said.
The vector-borne disease has grown as a serious public health concern in the country for the past several years.
A dengue outbreak was first officially reported in the country in 2000 when 93 people died and 5,551 patients were hospitalised, according to the DGHS data. It killed 1,705 people and sent 3, 21,179 others to hospitals in 2023 alone against 853 deaths and 2,44,246 hospitalisations between 2000 and 2022, the DGHS data showed.
Last year, the country witnessed a severe dengue outbreak that resulted in 575 deaths and 1,01,214 reported cases. A total of 1,00,040 patients recovered during the period.
Currently, 91 dengue patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals across the country.
