Dengue spike in Bangladesh: Govt issues precautionary measures

As the dengue situation has taken an alarming turn across the country, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) urged people to be careful and focus on ensuring that their surroundings are clean.

It also urged people not to panic over the alarming rise of dengue, said a handout of PID issued on Tuesday.

The DGHS also asked to follow some guidelines to combat the dengue outbreak.

Symptoms of dengue

The DGHS asked to consult doctors on suspicion of dengue after seeing symptoms alongside 104 degree body temperature. These are: severe headache, pain in the back of the eyes, muscle and joint ache, nausea and rash.

Severe symptoms of dengue

The body temperature of a dengue patient may decrease abnormally between three to seven days after being infected with dengue. There may also be severe stomach ache, frequent vomiting, vomit with blood, feeling depressed or restless.

Personal awareness

DGHS guidelines also advised to keep the doors and windows of houses and offices shut and covering the body to avoid mosquito bites.

Raising awareness in the community

The guidelines call for raising awareness among families, neighbours and communities to prevent dengue and ask everyone to engage in a cleanliness drive.

Steps to stop breeding of mosquitoes

Water should not be allowed to accumulate in the field or on the road in and around the house or in any place. Standing water in containers must be thrown out, said DGHS.

Flower pots, plastic containers, abandoned tyres, plastic drums, clay pots, buckets, discarded coconut shells, and battery cells should be dry so that the Aedes mosquitoes cannot lay eggs in these.

Unused containers should be turned aside and mosquito nets should be used during the day and night. Nearest healthcare centre should be contacted if someone is infected with dengue.

Meanwhile, seven more deaths were reported from dengue in 24 hours till Tuesday morning – the highest single-day casualties from the mosquito-borne disease this year.

The new casualties have raised the number of dengue fatalities in Bangladesh to 83 this year.

During the period, 1,054 more patients – highest single-day tally reported this year – were hospitalised with the viral fever, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

So far, the DGHS has recorded 14,897 dengue cases, 11,511 recoveries.

According to DGHS tally, Bangladesh has recorded 70 out of 83 dengue casualties in the months of June and July.