11-year-old Succumbs to Dengue Fever in Dhaka; Death Toll at 157

An 11-year-old schoolgirl has died of dengue fever in Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), taking the unofficial death toll by the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to over 157 so far this year.

Dengue, a vector-borne disease which is prevalent in monsoon and post-monsoon season, is spread by the bite of the female mosquito (Aedes aegypti). Mosquitoes spreading diseases dengue, malaria, chikungunya, Zika virus, Yellow fever and others breed in stagnant water.

Tarin, a student of grade 5, daughter of daughter of Nasir Talukdar from Ghoshaighat upazila of Shariatpur, died at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of DMCH at 2:46 pm on Tuesday, a report by Dhaka Tribune quoted Bachchu Mia, in-charge of DMCH police outpost, and Tarin's aunt Shahida Begum saying.

According to Shahida Begum and in-charge of DMCH police outpost, Tarin was admitted to Ghoshaighat Upazila Health Complex after she contracted a fever. She was shifted to DMCH on September 12 after she was diagnosed with dengue.

Her condition started to deteriorate over the time and she was rushed to the ICU, where she died on Tuesday, the report said.

A total of 615 dengue patients have been admitted to different hospitals across Bangladesh in the span of 24 hours from September 16 to September 17, the report said, adding that out of the 615, 198 patients were admitted in Dhaka and 417 in districts outside Dhaka.

The Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), in a press release issued on Tuesday, said the number of patients currently undergoing treatment in government and private hospitals in Bangladesh was 2,485.

A total of 68 dengue patients have died across Bangladesh till September 17, according to the data collected by DGHS which is lower than the unofficial death toll which is reported to be over 157.

As per the DGHS data, as many as 993 patients are undergoing treatment in 41 government and private hospitals in Dhaka, whereas 1,492 people are undergoing treatment outside Dhaka.

The report further said that since till September 17 so far this year, a total of 82,454 people have been affected by dengue out of which a total of 79,766 have been discharged from their respective hospitals and clinics after treatment.