Five more people have died of dengue fever in Bangladesh in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities this year to 238, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Tuesday’s DGHS bulletin said that among the latest victims were three men and two women, aged 60, 59, 60, 65, and 18. Two of them were receiving treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, while the others were admitted to Mitford Hospital, Mugda Medical College Hospital, and Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.
In the same 24-hour period, 841 new dengue patients were hospitalized across the country, raising the total number of hospital admissions this year to 56,257.
According to DGHS data, September saw the highest number of hospitalizations this year, with 15,866 patients admitted and 76 deaths recorded. So far in October (up to October 14), 8,915 patients have been hospitalized, and 40 have died.
In previous months, the pattern of hospitalizations and deaths from dengue has shown a steady rise, particularly during the monsoon period. In January, there were 1,161 hospital admissions with 10 deaths, followed by 374 cases and 3 deaths in February. The numbers remained relatively low in March, with 336 patients and no reported fatalities, but began to increase in April, which saw 701 admissions and 7 deaths. The situation worsened from May onward, as 1,773 patients were hospitalized and 3 died that month. In June, the number of admissions surged to 5,951, accompanied by 19 deaths. The peak came during the height of the rainy season, with 10,684 hospitalizations and 41 deaths in July, followed closely by 10,496 cases and 39 fatalities in August, marking the most severe phase of the dengue outbreak this year.
The DGHS bulletin also reported that among the new cases in the past 24 hours, 301 patients were admitted to hospitals under the two Dhaka city corporations. Division-wise, 214 patients were admitted in Dhaka Division (outside the city), 19 in Mymensingh, 106 in Chattogram, 26 in Khulna, 47 in Rangpur, 125 in Barishal, and 3 in Sylhet.
Currently, 2,665 dengue patients are receiving treatment in hospitals nationwide — 971 in Dhaka and 1,694 outside the capital.
Bangladesh has been recording dengue hospitalizations and fatalities since 2000. The deadliest year on record was 2023, when 321,179 people were hospitalized and 1,705 died from the mosquito-borne disease.
