Has dengue claimed four more lives in Bangladesh, with the 2025 death toll crossing 290?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Death toll from dengue in 2025 reaches 292
- Over 1,100 new hospital admissions reported
- New DGHS guidelines mandate dedicated wards
- 575 deaths reported in 2024
- 1,705 fatalities in 2023, the deadliest year
Dhaka, Nov 4 (NationPress) In the last 24 hours, four additional fatalities have been reported due to dengue in Bangladesh, raising the total death count from this mosquito-borne illness in 2025 to 292, as indicated by local media sources.
During this timeframe, 1,101 more individuals were hospitalized with viral fever, bringing the overall number of infected cases in 2025 to 73,923, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), as reported by the United News of Bangladesh (UNB).
New cases have been documented in various areas: Dhaka North City Corporation (241), Dhaka Division (208), Dhaka South City Corporation (175), Barishal (151), Chattogram Division (125), Mymensingh Division (75), Khulna Division (59), Rajshahi Division (45), Rangpur Division (19), and Sylhet Division (3).
In 2024, 575 individuals succumbed to dengue, while the year 2023 witnessed a staggering 1,705 deaths, marking it as the deadliest year on record.
On September 16, the DGHS issued new guidelines for public hospitals aimed at enhancing the treatment of dengue patients. These instructions require all hospitals across Bangladesh to establish specialized wards for dengue care and appoint a dedicated medical team. Abu Hossain Md Mainul Ahsan, the DGHS Director (Hospitals and Clinics), spearheaded this directive.
The DGHS emphasized the necessity for hospitals to make special provisions for patients receiving treatment for dengue. They must facilitate NS-1 tests, provide emergency care, and ensure adequate supplies of medication for patients, as reported by the leading Bangladeshi daily, Dhaka Tribune.
Patients undergoing treatment for dengue should be accommodated in designated wards or rooms, with priority given to ICU support as required. Additionally, a specific set of responsibilities has been assigned to doctors and nurses.
The directive advocates for the formation of a board comprising specialists in medicine, pediatrics, and other relevant fields to oversee the treatment of dengue and Chikungunya patients. Under this board's supervision, trained medical professionals, including doctors and residents, will provide care for dengue and Chikungunya patients.
Furthermore, the same board and physicians will be responsible for treating suspected patients who visit outpatient departments in hospitals.
Hospital directors have also been directed to communicate with city corporations or municipalities to initiate mosquito eradication and cleanliness campaigns around hospital premises. Additionally, a dengue coordination meeting is to be convened at hospitals every Saturday, chaired by the director, superintendent, and civil surgeon.