The health department has updated its tally of the deaths caused by the mosquito-borne dengue fever to 57 across Bangladesh this year so far.
In its regular bulletin, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said that the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research confirmed 57 deaths due to dengue from Jan 1 till Saturday (Aug 31) this year.
Of the deaths, 54 were recorded at hospitals in Dhaka city, one from Dhaka division (outside the capital), and two from Khulna division, said DGHS’s Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room.
The DGHS data showed two people died of dengue in April, five in June, 28 in July and 22 in August.
The unofficial death toll, however, is reported over 126.
Dengue, a mosquito-borne virus, spreads among humans through its carrier Aedes mosquito.
As many as 760 new dengue patients hospitalised across Bangladesh in the last 24 hours, said the DGHS statement on Saturday.
Of them, 349 were in Dhaka and another 411 were outside the capital.
The total number of admitted patients currently undergoing treatment in government and private hospitals across the country is 4,860, according to the DGHS.
A total of 2,696 patients are currently receiving treatment in the capital, whereas a total of 2,164 people are undergoing treatment outside the capital, the data showed.
As many as 70,195 people have been affected by dengue so far in 2019 since January 1.
Among those admitted, a total of 65,150 have been released from their respective hospitals and clinics after treatment.