Dhaka, Oct 19 (IANS) One person died due to dengue in Bangladesh in the 24 hours till Sunday morning, raising the total number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in 2025 to 245, local media reported on Sunday.

The new death has been reported in Barishal Division, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the United News of Bangladesh reported. During this period, 950 more people were admitted to the hospital with viral fever, increasing the total number of cases in 2025 to 59,849.

Presently, 977 patients are undergoing treatment in Dhaka, while 2,793 are undergoing treatment at various hospitals in Bangladesh. According to the report, 61.3 per cent of the newly infected cases were men, while 38.7 per cent were women.

A total of 575 people died of dengue in Bangladesh in 2024. The DGHS stated that 101,214 dengue cases and 100,040 recoveries were reported during the same period.

On October 9, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Director General Abu Jafor noted that the number of dengue cases in 2025 is higher than last year; however, the death rate is lower.

Speaking at a press briefing held over the ‘Typhoid Vaccination Campaign-2025’ at the Health Ministry, Abu Jafor said: “This year, the number of dengue infections is higher than last year, but the death rate in proportion to infections is lower,” he said, United News of Bangladesh reported.

He called breeding of mosquitoes and the destruction of their larvae important for preventing dengue. “People must use mosquito nets and take protective measures. These are mostly individual responsibilities. If we neglect these, it will be very difficult to eliminate dengue.”

“Our data shows that over 50 per cent of dengue deaths in hospitals are occurring on the very first day of admission. This suggests that patients are seeking care too. We are doing our best to ensure proper management in hospitals.”

Abu Jafor called early diagnosis important and mentioned that dengue, if detected in the initial stage, can be treated at home with proper medical care. He said that lack of awareness, negligence and delay in seeking medical care as the main reasons for the increasing dengue death rate.

Dengue is a viral infection caused by the dengue virus (DENV), which is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates across the world, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) statement. Prevention and control of dengue depend on vector control. There is no specific treatment for dengue; however, early detection and access to proper medical care lower fatality rates of severe dengue.

–IANS

int/akl/vd