Bangladesh is seeing a gradual rise in dengue cases and the health authority confirmed 11 cases in the past 24 hours until early Friday.

Sixty-eight dengue patients, including 61 in Dhaka, are receiving treatment at hospitals across the county now, the Directorate General of Health Services said.

The health authority reported 1,231 dengue cases since January, and 1,156 patients have recovered so far.

Reports of seven dengue-related deaths have been sent to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). It has so far reviewed four cases and confirmed three dengue deaths.

Dengue has continued to affect several countries in 2020 with a high number of cases reported from Bangladesh, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam in Asia, says the World Health Organization.

According to official figures, 101,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh last year.

The country is seeing a gradual rise in the mosquito-borne disease in November when it continues to grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic.

As Bangladesh keeps reporting new Covid-19 cases every day, experts say, the country's health sector may face an unprecedented crisis if there is a dengue outbreak now.

"Dengue and Covid-19 cases hitting at the same time will create a situation in the country which will be very difficult for the government to handle alone," Dr Edward Pallab Rozario, head of health programs at Caritas Bangladesh, told UNB.

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