Bangladesh is grappling with its worst outbreak of dengue fever with 5,085 cases reported in the three days from Thursday (Aug 1) to Saturday (Aug 3), according to official figures.
The mosquito-borne disease is spreading rapidly and the situation is getting worse this year as the number of infected people has more than doubled since last month, compared with the same period last year.
As many as 22,919 people have been infected so far this year, according to figures by the Emergency Operations and Control Room of Directorate General Health of Services (DGHS).
More than 1,649 people have been diagnosed with dengue in the past 24 hours alone, it said.
The DGHS reports 18 deaths from dengue. However, according to a Bangla Tribune count, at least 60 people have died from the disease so far this year.
Dengue fever that has taken a heavy toll on public health this year in Dhaka has spread almost all over Bangladesh.
Most of the patients are believed to have travelled from the capital, the epicentre of the outbreak, but authorities do not rule out local infections since a rural variety of dengue mosquito is prevalent outside Dhaka.
Almost all hospitals in Dhaka, home to more than 20 million people, are struggling to cope with the increasing flow of dengue patients, with many public hospitals accommodating patients on the floors.
Dengue is common in South Asia, especially during the monsoon season which runs from June to September, and there is no specific treatment, but with early detection and access to proper medical care, fewer than 1 percent of sufferers die from the disease.
Globally, the number of dengue cases dropped in 2017-2018, but there has been a sharp increase in 2019, especially in Australia, Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.
The number of patients diagnosed with dengue this year in Bangladesh has reached an all-time high.
The dengue virus is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito which has grown rapidly along with urbanisation and globalisation because it thrives in tropical mega-cities and is easily spread in goods containing small puddles of water.
Searching for and destroying mosquito breeding places, use of mosquito net as well as repellents, and seeking early consultation when the first signs and symptoms of the disease strike are the most effective ways to prevent and cure dengue.
Doctors suggest taking rest and plenty of fluids such as oral saline, coconut water, juices in fever. Medicines other than paracetamol are restricted without the doctor's advice.