Dengue-related deaths top 1,100 in Bangladesh

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Registered deaths from dengue fever rose to 1,109 in Bangladesh with 13 new fatalities, including nine from the nation’s capital of Dhaka, health officials said Tuesday.

The Directorate General of Health Services reported 2,555 hospitalizations, taking the total caseload to 228,779.

Seven hundred deaths were recorded in Dhaka from 89,460 cases, according to data from the directorate.

A total of 219,068 patients made a recovery with a 96% overall recovery rate.

At least 8,602 patients are currently under treatment in hospitals in the country as of Tuesday, including 2,683 from Dhaka.

Fatalities and hospitalizations this year have already set new records, breaking all since 2000, when the country started keeping official data.

In September, 396 deaths with almost 80,000 registered hospitalizations were recorded.

Last year, Bangladesh reported 281 deaths and 123,808 cases during the year.

The high number of cases has already started putting pressure on the health systems in Bangladesh, warned the World Health Organization.

The viral infection is transmitted to humans through infected mosquitoes but there is no treatment for the infection.