Twenty people died of dengue across the country in the first 19 days of July, the highest death toll in a month this year, keeping 12 days in hand as the viral fever sent 6,493 others to hospitals during the period.
The Directorate General of Health Services recorded 19 dengue deaths and hospitalisation of 5,951 others in June this year, the highest fatality and infection until June in the ongoing year.
The country so far recorded the highest monthly deaths and hospitalisations in September 2023. At least 396 people died of dengue and 79,598 others hospitalised in the month. Dengue killed 204 people in July 2023.
A 60-year-old man from Barguna died of dengue in Dhaka and 394 others were admitted to health facilities across the country in 24 hours ending at 8:00am on Saturday, according to a press release issued by the DGHS.
As a result, the dengue death toll this year has increased to 62 and hospitalisations to 16,789.
DGHS data shows that dengue killed 10 in January, three in February, seven in April, three in May and 19 in June this year.
Of the hospitalised people, 1,161 people were hospitalised in January, 374 in February, 336 in March, 701 in April, 1,773 in May, and 5,951 in June, according to the DGHS.
The vector-born disease has arisen as a serious public health concern in the country over 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 DGHS data.
Dengue 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.
In 2024, the country witnessed a severe dengue outbreak that resulted in 575 deaths and 1,01,214 reported cases.
