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Dengue spreading at alarming rate

Seven die, 75 infected over last fortnight

By Naimul Haq
Dengue, a deadly viral fever caused by mosquito bite, is spreading at an alarming rate' in the city, virologists, doctors and hospital sources said.
At least 75 cases of Dengue infection have been detected at * the BIRDEM. Dhaka Shishu Hospital and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital IBSMMUHl in the city in the last one week, sources in the hospitals said.
Seven patients Including two children died in the last two weeks, six of them at these three hospitals and another at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Doctors say there is no medicine or vaccine to fight Dengue vims. It is only the body resistance that can fight it. Normally, the body resistance can fight the ’classical" virus but the Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF) mostly kills the prey, they said.
in developed countries, mechanism has been developed to detect the virus instantly through tissue culture and a special type of microscope. But
in Bangladesh, there is no such facility, they said.
BIRDEM Hospitals immunology department detected 31 cases in the last six days and termed It is "a sudden rise in dengue infection, usually not found in plain land
Talking to this correspondent yesterday, one of the researchers there said. "Out of 38 suspected cases, we found 31 positive cases, which is a significant increase. Three of them died."
Dhaka Shishu Hospital (children's hospital) detected about 90 positive cases in the last fifteen days.
"On an average, we detected sLx positive cases everyday in the last 15 days." said an official at the Shishu Hospital.
The Dhaka City Corporation officials said they requested the Institute of Epidemiology and Disease Control and Research HEDCR) two days back to carry out a survey on Dengue infection on an urgent basis.
But they could not say whether IEDCR started the sur-
vey. When contacted yesterday. 1EDCR refused to give any information in this regard.
Prof M Nazrul Islam, head of Virology' Department at BSM-MUH and also a member of WHO Expert Advisory Panel on Viral Disease, was contacted for his opinion.
Describing the situation as alarming. Prof Islam said, The sudden emergence of dengue carrier mosquitoes in a crowed city like Dhaka worries us very much because mosquito habitation is growing unchecked ”
He said. "We witnessed death of a patient at the hospital from Dengue infection. In fact, in last two weeks, we detected (serologically) nine positive cases."
Prof Islam advised that any one having persistent fever, rash or severe pain in abdomen and in lower area of the lung should immediately check "blood platelet count befoir going for any surgery or the patient may' risk uninterrupted bleeding."
An expert studying Dengue infection earlier said. The type of mosquito - Aedes Eegypti --that causes Dengue is found in plenty in urban areas. However, the 'classical Dengue virus does not cause much harm but the Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is fatal. Both the viruses are carried by Aedes Eegypti mosquito".
He added. "Aedes Eegypti mosquito can fly a maximum distance of 50 yards. Once it bites humans, the virus incubates in the blood for 5-7 days Typically, dengue is characterised by high fever that persists for a couple of days. The infection, particularly in children. causes rash in some parts of the body."
According to WHO. worldwide cases of Dengue infection are increasing dramatically. In Bangladesh. Dengue is considered as a re-emerging disease Globally. 50 million cases of Dengue infection are reported every year.
WHO described the Dengue outburst as explosive.' An estimated 500.000 patients with DHF infection are hospitalised every year. A very large number of them are children, and roughly five per cent of the total die.
Dengue infection is found mostly in tropical countries. It Is caused by four types of viruses, carried by mosquito. Aedes Aegypti mosquito carries one of the viruses in tropical countries like Bangladesh, experts said.
It may be mentioned that this time last year. Dengue infection suddenly rose in the city and there were some deaths as well.