Rain may worsen situation: experts
Though the number of dengue patients have come down in the last two days, experts yesterday observed that there is still a chance that the number may increase, as the city saw rain on the first day of September.
According to experts, dengue infections may increase in September and October if the rain continues, creating suitable weather conditions for Aedes mosquitoes to breed.
According to Dhaka Met office, most districts experienced rain yesterday, of which Dhaka got 40-millimetre rainfall, while Kishoreganj saw 43mm, Khulna 43mm, Mongla 40mm and Tangail 42mm.
Kinkar Ghosh, epidemiologist at Dhaka Shishu Hospital, said that if there is intermittent rains in September, there is a chance of an increase in dengue cases.
But it will remain under control if necessary steps are taken and ongoing drive against Aedes mosquitoes are continued, he said.
Prof Kabirul Bashar, an entomologist of Jahangirnagar University, also stressed the need for continuing the ongoing Aedes mosquito control activities. “Though I do not think September will be top in terms of dengue cases this year, as the peak period has already passed just before Eid, authorities concerned as well as people will have to continue their anti-mosquito activities at least till October,” he said.
According to Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 865 dengue patients were admitted to different hospitals across the country in 24 hours till 8am yesterday, raising the tally of patients to 71,962.
Among them, 41,494 are in Dhaka.
Meanwhile, one more patient died of dengue yesterday at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, taking the countrywide death toll to 128.
However, the official figure of deaths stood at 57.
Deceased Hasan Fakir, 45, of Chitalmari village in Bagerhat, was a security guard of Madina Group in Old Dhaka.
Hasan was diagnosed with dengue after he was admitted to the DMCH on August 29, the hospital’s Assistant Director (administration) Dr Nasir Uddin told The Daily Star.
He breathed his last around 11:30am, Dr Nasir said.
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