Bangladesh reports highest single-day dengue cases of 678, death toll reaches 61

 

Bangladesh recorded 678 more cases of dengue fever on Tuesday, the highest number for a single day so far this year, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.

In the last 24 hours as of 8:00 a.m. local time Tuesday, five people died due to the mosquito-borne disease in the country, the highest number since January, which raised the official dengue death toll to 61 this year.

According to figures released by the DGHS under the Ministry of Health, 429 people were diagnosed with dengue in the capital city of Dhaka alone Tuesday.

With the fresh infections reported Tuesday, the total number of dengue cases has surged to 9,871 in Bangladesh so far this year, the DGHS said.

In July 14 deaths from dengue were reported, and 34 deaths in June, the DGHS said.

A total of 8,141 dengue patients have returned home after receiving treatment by various hospitals across the country this year.

The South Asian country, with a population of about 170 million, is especially vulnerable to the dengue fever virus partly due to deficient disease surveillance.

xinhua