by Naim-Ul-Karim
DHAKA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- About 1,000 cases of dengue have been reported so far this year in Bangladesh, resulting in the deaths of eight people merely in capital Dhaka.
Abdur Rahim, an official at the control room of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) under the Ministry of Health, told Xinhua Sunday that "22 fresh cases of dengue were reported from Dhaka in the 24 hours as of 12:00 p.m. local time Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases till July 28 this year in the capital city to 992."
He said eight people died in Dhaka due to dengue since January.
"While four deaths were reported this month, there were three deaths in June," showed the the DGHS data presented by the official.
"Another death was reported in January," said Rahim, adding hospitals and clinics in Dhaka have recorded the deaths meaning that the victims died while undergoing treatment.
In 2016, Dhaka saw approximately 6,000 dengue cases and at least 14 deaths, the worst in 17 years in the country.
There had been no respite for the Dhaka dwellers from dengue fever cases also in the last year when the city reeled from a "major outbreak of chikungunya", a viral disease also spread by the Aedes mosquito, which is also responsible for Zika virus, with the hospitals reporting nearly 3,000 cases of the disease in July since May.
Usually June-September monsoon period is the season of dengue fever in Bangladesh when peak transmission occurs in the country.
A recent survey finds a troublesome situation in many Dhaka areas.
According to the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) conducted survey findings, the carrier of the virus, Aedes mosquito, is present at over one-third of the houses and other structures.
The DSCC survey reportedly found Aedes larvae in 938 of 2,599 buildings and construction sites that its official visited between June 25 and July 15.
Bangladesh is considered a high-risk nation with respect to mosquito-borne diseases as the impoverished state of over about 160 million people is especially vulnerable to virus preparation because of insufficient biosecurity and deficient disease surveillance.
Mayor Sayeed Khokon of DSCC said they have taken the initiative for more cleanliness in households and surroundings as part of the preventive measures to destroy breeding species of mosquito within the genus Aedes.
As part of the initiative, he said, the DSCC expert teams have currently been visiting dengue prone areas in the city and inform people on how to destroy all potential breeding sites.
