Professor Kabirul Bashar has discovered aegypti mosquitoes in many villages of Savar including Islamnagar, Gopalnagar and Dohar this year. He commented, “I have never seen Aegypti in these areas before.”
From July 30 till yesterday, Sunday, more dengue patients have been admitted to hospitals outside Dhaka than in Dhaka. However, the death rate remains high in Dhaka despite the number of infections being low. Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director of the disease control wing of the DGHS, suggests that the increased risk of deaths in Dhaka may be due to many patients getting infected for the second time.
“The whole of Bangladesh is now a dengue risk zone,” said Mushtuk Hossain, an adviser at the government’s Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research.
Public health experts stress that there are some preventive measures in place in major cities like Dhaka to control Aedes, but little in rural areas. aegypti breeds in rural areas, but dengue is said to be spread through albopictus. Entomologist Khalilur Rahman believes it is important to identify it. Public health expert Bey-Nazir Ahmed also argues that dengue has now spread across the country, requiring an expanded plan that includes the entire Bangladesh region.
Another 16 people died
16 more people have died due to dengue in the country. Earlier on Saturday, DGHS had reported the highest number of deaths of 21 patients due to dengue. Along with this, 634 people died due to dengue in the country this year.