The dengue situation in Bangladesh is worsening, with 179 deaths this year, over half of whom died within two to three days of hospitalisation.

Professor Dr Abu Zafar, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), shared the information at a press conference held at the DGHS conference room on Monday afternoon.

Dr Zafar said the highest mortality rate this year has been observed among patients aged 20–30 years. Many of these patients are admitted to hospital six to seven days after the onset of fever and die within two to three days of admission. He also noted that children affected by dengue are at high risk of death.

Although the number of cases this year is much higher than last year, the fatality rate remains lower. However, the concerning issue is that many patients are arriving at hospitals in critical condition, which significantly increases the risk of death,” he said.

Analysing the mortality data, Dr Zafar added, “It has been observed that most of those who died did so within two to three days of being hospitalised.”

Highlighting the importance of public awareness, Dr Zafar urged people to test for dengue promptly if they develop a fever and warned against negligence. 

Without timely diagnosis and treatment, the risk of death increases. No matter what measures are taken, it is very difficult to overcome infectious diseases like dengue if the public is not aware,” he said.

Hospital Director of DGHS Moinul Hasan Bappy said a special committee of doctors is being formed to treat dengue patients, ensuring that each patient is supervised by a designated physician. In addition, hospitals have taken extra preparedness measures to manage the situation.