Dengue back in capital

Patients with dengue fever in city hospitals are on the rise as this mosquito-borne disease takes a turn for the worse with the advent of monsoon, medical experts said.
Doctors at different hospitals and clinics said that on average 10 to 15 patients are coming to hospitals with dengue fever every day.
A medical officer of Shishu Hospital said, “If the condition of patients is serious we advise them to get admitted into the hospital, otherwise we discourage any admission as it is a mosquito-borne disease and might infect other child patients.”
Only 11 patients were admitted to the hospital till Thursday night, said the on-duty doctor.
Dr Saroj, senior medical officer of Shomorita Hospital, told The Daily Star yesterday that at least 20 dengue patients had been treated at the hospital in the last two weeks. On average eight to ten patients come to visit doctors every day, he added.
“Eight dengue patients are now undergoing treatment at the Central Hospital on Green Road and we have had patients over the past one month,” said Assistant Director of the hospital Dr Fahim Ahmed.
Fourteen dengue patients were treated at Holy Family Red Crescent Hospital till Thursday evening, said Information Officer of the hospital HM Ashim.
The influx of patients with symptoms of dengue is more at the private hospitals and clinics in the city than the public ones. A large number of dengue patients have been admitted to private hospitals and clinics, sources at the medical service centres said.
Sources at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital said as the number of swine flu patients dropped the authorities are now using the swine flu corner for treating dengue patients.
The government's Dengue Control Room failed to provide the number of affected people but unofficial sources said it is already much higher than last year.
City dwellers of different areas, including Goran, Basabo, Dhanmondi, Khilgaon, Shantibag, Rajarbagh, Mirpur and Gandaria said the mosquito eradication programme of the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) was not visible.
“I did not see any activities of DCC to control mosquitoes this season though the area is dirty and water-logging is very common,” said Sheikh Sahidul, a resident of Shantibag.
DCC Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka told The Daily Star, “Fogging is going on in residential areas and we are spraying larvicide on water bodies after removal of garbage.”
A meeting with lawmakers of Dhaka and DCC officials concerned would be held soon to work out a plan to create mass awareness among people as the situation is worsening, he said.
According to the dengue study group of the Department of Disease Control of the Health Directorate, the mosquito-borne disease dengue has emerged as a public health problem in Bangladesh since its first outbreak in 2000.
Senior Scientific Officer of Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), a government institute that monitors prevalence of a disease, Dr M Mushtuq Husain said the number of dengue patients had increased in the hospitals because of monsoon and it is the opposite in case of swine flu.
People with sudden onset of high fever but with no respiratory problem or common cold symptoms can also be suspects of dengue syndrome, experts said.
The Aedes Aegypti mosquito bites in the early morning and evening. This mosquito breeds in a small collection of clean water in residential houses, especially domestic containers, according to the epidemiologists.
According to the World Health Organisation's guidelines, people should avoid mosquito bites, use long-sleeved shirts and protective clothing, sleep under preferably insecticide-treated mosquito nets and destroy all in-house and adjoining breeding sources of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes (containers, coconut shells, cans, used tyres, earthen pots, flower vases, etc.)