7 more die from dengue in Bangladesh amid rising infections

Bangladesh health authorities registered on Thursday seven new deaths due to dengue fever, taking the toll to 377 this year.

Of the new deaths, four were from capital Dhaka, according to the daily update by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The South Asian nation also reported three deaths on Wednesday.

The total caseload of hospitalization, meanwhile, increased to 92,784 with 567 new cases in the past 24 hours. Of all those hospitalized till date, 90,219 returned home after recovery.

The viral infection is transmitted to humans through infected mosquitoes, and there is no specific treatment except for pain management. In Bangladesh, dengue has become a year-round threat, with peaks during the rainy season between June and September.

The most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash. Most get better in one to two weeks, while some develop severe dengue and need care in hospital.

Prof. Kabirul Bashar, an entomologist at the Jahangirnagar University in the capital Dhaka, told Anadolu recently that dengue cases would remain high this year due to a number of factors, including changing climate and delayed rainfall. The situation could improve from January, he said.

Bangladesh saw the worst dengue situation in 2023, reporting a record 1,705 deaths and 321,179 cases.