Preventive measures let no death from dengue this year

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DHAKA, July 4, 2020 (BSS) – No death from dengue has been reported so far as the government took time befitting measures to destroy aedes mosquito this year while the number of dengue-infected patients was over one lakh and over 150 people died of the mosquito-borne disease last year.

“Different cleanliness and awareness programme of the government and regular anti-aedes drive of city corporations keep the dengue situation under control this year,” Assistant Director of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)’s health emergency operation centre and control room Ayesha Akhter told BSS.

Mentioning that a few numbers of people were infected with dengue across the country, she said, “A total of 326 patients were tested positive for dengue this year till 3rd July. Of them, 324 patients returned home after recovery.”

“Only two patients are now undergoing treatment due to dengue….no death from dengue was reported this year so far,” she added.

Last year, in the middle of the month of July, dengue fever caused death for 3 people in the country and 908 dengue patients were undergoing treatment at different hospitals.

A total of 3,998 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals from January 1 to July 14, 2019 while a total of 152 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals in a day during that time, according to DGHS’s control room bulletin.

The country saw a severe dengue outbreak last year as 1,01,354 patients got admitted to hospitals across the country and 1,01,037 of them returned home till December 31.

Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) reported 148 deaths from dengue last year.

Amid the outbreak of deadly coronavirus (Covid-19), two city corporations of Dhaka and other local government bodies across the country, have been spearheading massive programmes to safeguard the people from being affected with the mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya.

Dhaka north and south city corporations have been carrying out multifaceted programmes to destroy larvae and breeding grounds of aedes mosquitoes.

A special 10-day cleanliness or combing drive was launched on June 6 at 54 wards in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) area.

As many as 1, 34, 135 houses and establishments and under-construction buildings were visited during that drive, said DNCC sources.

Larvae of aedes mosquitoes were found at 1601 houses, establishments and under-construction buildings and congenial atmosphere for aedes mosquito breeding was found at 89,626 houses and establishments.

Congenial atmosphere for breeding prevails at 67 percent buildings and larvae were found at 1.2 percent buildings, said the sources, adding a total of Tk 24.10 lakh was realized as fine from owners of the buildings where larvae was found during the drive.

Mosquito killing campaigns were also conducted at all the hospitals and clinics to keep patients, doctors, nurses and others free from dengue.

On June 14, DSCC organised a campaign for cleaning wetlands and drains began to prevent the breeding of aedes mosquitoes.

These types of initiative reduced the breeding of mosquitoes on a massive scale, city corporation sources said.

The DNCC again started anti-mosquito drive in its area today to prevent dengue outbreak as well as make the city clean as well as green.