The number of dengue deaths and hospitalisation has been increasing significantly across the country even in the month of November.
Entomologists blamed the failure of the agencies to control mosquitoes and rain in November for the increased number of infections and deaths.
They said that the phenomenon was unusual but not surprising because of climate change. They suspected that dengue might take the trend in the future.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services data, at least five people died of dengue and 1,194 others were hospitalised across Bangladesh in the past 24 hours till Monday morning, raising the number of deaths from dengue to 360 so far this year.
With the latest hospitalisation, a total of 73,587 people were hospitalised due to the vector born disease.
At least 58 people died of dengue and 10, 576 others were hospitalised with dengue infection across the country in the past 10 days in November. The number of deaths and hospitalisation in October was 33 and 8,323 respectively, according to the DGHS data.
According to the data, at least 16 people died and 3,500 others were hospitalised in the first 10 days of September and at least seven people died and 1,250 others hospitalised in August 1-10, and at least two people died and 506 others hospitalised between July 1 and July 10.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University鈥檚 former vice-chancellor and virology teacher Professor Nazrul Islam said that he did not see any significant move by the authorities to control mosquitoes.
Professor Golam Sarwar, an entomologist at the National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine who is also a member of the government-formed expert committee to fight against dengue said that the number of dengue deaths and cases was increasing in November due to rain in the month.
Once the peak season for dengue infection was June to September but now the mosquito-born disease has turned into 鈥榓 year-round disease鈥�.
This year, of the deaths, 14 died in January, three in February, five in March, two in April, two in May, eight in June, 12 in July, 27 in August, 80 in September and 134 in October and 58 in the first 10 days of November.
Of the total hospitalisation this year, 1,055 were reported in January, 339 in February, 311 in March, 504 in April, 644 in May, 798 in June,
2,669 in July, 6,521 in August, 18,097 in September, 30, 879 in October and 10,576 in the first 10 days of November.
According to the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research鈥檚 latest virus surveillance report, out of four dengue virus serotypes, three鈥擠ENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-3 -- have been prevailing in the country this year.
The director of the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control And Research, Professor Tahmina Shirin, referring to a recent surveillance report completed in October, said that DENV-2 was dominating the serotype of dengue this year.
Dengue killed 1,705 people and sent 3,21,179聽 others to hospitals in 2023 alone against 853 deaths and 2,44,246 hospitalisation between 2000 and 2022, the DGHS data showed.
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.
