Twenty-three new dengue patients were hospitalized in 24 hours till Friday morning, health authorities said. With no new deaths till Friday, the number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease remained 101 during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Ninety-two people died in Dhaka division alone, three in Mymensingh division, two each in Chattogram, and Khulna divisions and one each in Rajshahi and Barishal divisions. Read: Dengue: 1 more dies, 31 new patients hospitalized in 24 hrs Fifteen new patients are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Dhaka while the remaining 8 cases have been reported from outside the division. Some 195 patients who were diagnosed with dengue are receiving treatment in the country as of Friday. Of them, 130 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital while the remaining 65 were listed outside Dhaka. Since January, some 27,893 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue in the country. So far, 27,597 dengue patients have left hospitals after recovery, said DGHS. Read: Dengue: 60 more hospitalized in 24 hrs Experts attribute the unusually high dengue cases during the dry season, mainly in Dhaka, to the prolonged rainy season, sporadic rainfall, and high humidity and temperature, Aedes mosquitoes' reproductive and behavioural changes caused by climate change and lack of people’s awareness and poor controlling measures by the two city corporations of the capital. They also said the climate conditions of Bangladesh are becoming more favourable for the Aedes mosquitos to prevail in all seasons with high or low intensity mainly for the increase in temperature and breeding sources.

Several national laws, such as the Pesticide Act 2018 and the City Corporation Act 2009, need to be revised to tackle the dengue menace, Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury, chairman of the Center of Governance Studies (CGS) and entomologist, said Saturday. International guidelines such as those provided by the international health regulations (IHR) and the World Health Organisation recommendations can be ratified in Bangladesh to expedite the fight against yearly dengue outbreaks, he said. Read: Dengue: 2 more die, 232 new patients hospitalized Also, he stressed the importance of a properly integrated vector management system in Bangladesh and the need for a proper institution to handle this. Manjur was addressing the seminar "Problems in Mosquito Control in the City: An Outline of Sustainable Solutions," hosted by the Center of Governance Studies (CGS) in the capital. This year's rise in dengue infections compared to 2020 happened due to the delay of taking proper preventive measures as soon as the rainy season started in Bangladesh, said Touhid Uddin Ahmed, a former principal scientific officer at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). As no work was done to identify hotspots of dengue infections, and to target adult Aedes mosquitoes, it contributed to the rapid spread of the dengue outbreak, he said. Read: Keep the dengue mementoes in city museum, demand Jurain residents in unique protest "Data shows alarming rates of increase in dengue infections in both the cities and rural areas of Bangladesh. The reason for this unchecked yearly rise in the dengue epidemic is due to the lack of a national goal set by the government; lack of policies related to mosquito control, guidance among the citizens to handle the epidemic, and a viable plan to deal with the vectors of transmission, namely adult Aedes mosquitoes," he added. Dr GM Saifur Rahman, a medical entomologist and a faculty member of the National University, said: "The life cycle of Aedes mosquitoes is around six to eight days. So a routine weekly cleaning regiment needs to be implemented nationwide to clear out water from places that gather water during rain." He also said dengue fever incubates inside the body for four to seven days before symptoms show, so one does not get sick immediately when mosquitoes bite them.

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh today urged city dwellers to inform municipal authorities about Aedes mosquitoes so that  they can take necessary steps to free their homes of the menace. “We cannot reach the rooftops of your(city dwellers) buildings. So if you(residents) watch stagnant water, either clean it by yourselves or inform us and we will clean it,” he said while visiting Dhaka match factory colony area to observe the water logging situation on a regular weekly visit. “Inform us if you know the breeding sources of Aedes mosquitos in your surroundings as it is impossible for us to locate and destroy them all by going home to home,” he said. READ: DSCC drive: Aedes larvae found in 5 buildings including DOM-INNO’s Besides, 27 mobile courts of the DNCC on Wednesday sued 27 individuals and collected a fine of Tk 2,16,500  as they found conditions conducive to the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes on their premises. Sources within Dhaka North City Corporation confirmed the news to UNB. Similar drives are also going on everyday in South Dhaka too. READ: Destroy aedes-breeding puddles or face penalty, warns LGRD minister Ten mobile courts of the DSCC on Tuesday  fined owners of 24 under-construction buildings and houses Tk 3.31 lakh over the matter.

Authorities reported 70 more dengue cases in 24 hours until Monday morning amid a surge in the mosquito-borne disease. Some 209 patients diagnosed with dengue are  receiving treatment at different government and private hospitals across the country as of Monday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Read: Ready to check any possible dengue outbreak: Minister Tajul Of them, one patient is receiving treatment at a hospital outside Dhaka. Some 796 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January and 587 of them have been released after recovery. The recent spike in dengue cases has added to the worries as the country continues to grapple with the devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Mobile court drives will be conducted in the two city corporations of capital Dhaka soon in an effort to control any possible dengue outbreak, Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam told UNB. Read:53 more Dengue cases reported in 24 hrs “Legal action will be taken against those if anyone is found responsible for breeding Aedes mosquitoes and breaching government directives through fine and other punishment, no matter whether the establishments are owned by the government or not. You’ve no right to harm the lives and property of people,” Tajul warned. The DGHS reported 1,193 dengue cases and three confirmed dengue-related deaths in 2020. According to official figures, 101,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in 2019. Read:100 dengue patients undergoing treatment at hospitals across country Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000 when it claimed 93 lives. In the following three years, the fatalities almost fell to zero. However, the mosquito-borne viral infection struck again in 2018, killing 26, and infecting 10,148 people.

Mobile court drives will be conducted in the two city corporations of capital Dhaka soon in an effort to control any possible dengue outbreak, said Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam.  “A meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday to take necessary steps in this regard. After repeated attempts to raise awareness among people over any dengue outbreak, people do not take it seriously. That’s why mobile court drives will be conducted to control the spread of dengue,” he said. Read: Risk of dengue outbreak rises amid lockdown “Legal action will be taken against those if anyone is found responsible for breeding Aedes mosquitoes and breaching government directives through fine and other punishment, no matter whether the establishments are owned by the government or not. You’ve no right to harm the lives and property of people,” Tajul warned. “We should be aware of stagnant water as it is the breeding place of the Aedes mosquito. It’s possible to destroy the larvae of Aedes mosquitoes by using kerosene,” the minister suggested. Tajul went on saying, “After learning lessons from the bitter experience of the 2019 dengue outbreak, we’ve taken effective measures in 2020, and we had been able to control the outbreak of dengue. Besides, the ministry will appoint adequate manpower, including pesticides, fogging machines and magistrates to operate the mobile courts this time.” Read: 32 more dengue cases reported in 24 hrs “If we work in a coordinated way, it can be possible to control Aedes mosquitoes, and the mayors of the two city corporations are working with sincerity. We need the awareness of people to make the plan a success. Or else, it’s not possible to control mosquitoes through drives,” he added. Mobile court drives will be conducted within two or one days for controlling any possible dengue menace in the two city corporations. Ten magistrates have been appointed for conducting mobile court drives, said the minister. “The number of dengue patients is increasing day by day in the two city corporations alongside the death rate. Panic has gripped the city dwellers over dengue,” he said. According to sources at the two city corporations, 536 people have been found infected with dengue till July 7 and the number of cases in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) is higher than that of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). Read: 53 more Dengue cases reported in 24 hrs Talking to DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam, he said, “A ten-day anti-mosquito drive was conducted from June 1 to June 12 this year. The drive to take legal action against any establishment will continue.” “Everyone should be aware of controlling dengue, aedes mosquito and Chikungunya. People should check for stagnant water on the rooftops of buildings, flower vases and other abandoned places. We should keep our houses and other places clean to ensure stop breeding of Aedes mosquitoes,” Atiqul added. He also urged people to clear stagnant water within three days. Meanwhile, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, said, “Mobile court drives are being conducted to kill mosquitoes and the activities will be brought under a dynamic system as we’ve seen a surge in dengue cases in the city. We’ll strengthen monitoring in wards. We’ve asked the city councillors to talk to the owners and owners’ associations of flats and apartments and the general secretaries of the associations to allow workers so that they can spread medicines.” Taposh added: “Sometimes we noticed stagnant water in the middle of two buildings and different abandoned things. We should clean up those for destroying aedes larvae.” Chief Health Officer of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Brig Gen Zobaidur Rahman said, “Our drive will continue and we’ve the data of those house owners where we’ve got Aedes larvae and now we’ve alerted them after sending SMS to them.” According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Bangladesh reported 48 dengue cases in 24 hours until Saturday morning. Some 179 patients diagnosed with dengue are currently receiving treatment at different government and private hospitals across the country till then. The recent spike in dengue cases has compounded worries among people as the country continues to grapple with the devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.   

Bidyanondo Foundation, a voluntary organisation, has started spraying insecticides in the capital and outside of it to check any possible dengue outbreak amid speculation that the actual number of dengue cases are not being reported because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has found aedes larvae at 1,601 houses and establishments and realised Tk 24 lakh in fine during the first phase of combing operation launched to protect the city dwellers from dengue.

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) authority on Saturday found Aedes mosquito larvae in 131 houses and establishments on the first day of its combing operation launched to protect the city dwellers from dengue.

A mobile court on Sunday fined owners of three under-construction buildings Tk 11,000 as larvae of Aedes mosquito was found on their premises in Banani area of the city under the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Qauder on Wednesday said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took the right decision at the right time by relaxing restrictions on some sectors to save the lives and livelihoods of the country’s people.