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Malibagh and Moghbazar have.
In the capital, Moghbazar has been the worst affected, with at least 137 dengue patients taking treatment. Malibagh, next to Moghbazar, saw the second highest number of patients -- 75-100. As high as 40 percent households in this neighbourhood are infested with Aedes larvae.
The presence of larvae is similar in Segunbagicha, secretariat area, Dhaka University area, Sabujbagh and Rajarbagh, Narinda, Tikatuli, and Gandaria.
MM Aktaruzzaman, programme manager of Communicable Disease Control at the Directorate General of Health Services, said their survey team inspected under-construction buildings, semi-structured one- and two-story buildings, multistory buildings as well as unoccupied flats.
Concentration of Aedes larvae was high in buildings where people stored water for aesthetic purposes, he said.
“This type of mosquito needs clean water for reproduction,” he said, adding that many flats in upscale areas had unused bathrooms with commodes where female Aedes mosquitoes laid eggs.
The team found larvae in discarded tyres, water on the floors, plastic buckets, pottery/clay pots, flower vases and trays and metal cans with water stored in them.
The survey on the concentration of patients was done analysing information about 3,000 patients who took treatment at 12 public and 35 private hospitals across the capital since May 1 to August 2. The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research carried out this survey.
The survey on the mosquito larvae was done by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) from July 17-27. It covered 100 areas of 98 wards in the two city corporations.
Aktaruzzaman recommended further studies for better understanding of mosquito prevalence and infection.
5-35 AGE GROUP MOST VULNERABLE
Findings also show that most dengue patients who took treatment are aged between 5 and 35, with the number of male patients much higher compared to female patients.
Kankar Ghosh, an epidemiologist at Dhaka Shishu Hospital, said students and job holders are at highest risk as they remain outside home in the morning and evening hours, when Aedes mosquitos are known to bite.
These mosquitos usually bite people two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset, and people of these two groups remain outside home at these hours, he said. “For example, an officegoer leaves home before 8:00am and return after sunset.”
And although people can keep their homes clean, they have to rely on the authorities or the city corporations for cleaning offices and educational institutions, he said.
“The number of infections would come down by half if children stopped going outside their home at the risky hours,” he noted.
The study found 56 percent children aged 5-11 were infected from schools, he said.
HM Nazmul Ahsan, associate professor at Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, said students were very vulnerable as many schools, colleges and coaching centres were not cleaned properly, a reason why students are being infected there.
Situation worsens
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Hospital, it is 100.
So far this year, 8,863 patients got admitted to hospitals outside Dhaka with dengue.
In Mymensingh, 153 were taking treatment at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH) after 49 more patients got admitted in 24 hours ending at 8.00am yesterday, said AB Md Shamsuzzaman, assistant director of the hospital.
Seventeen new patients got admitted to Pabna Medical College Hospital in the last 24 hours, said Ranjan Kumar, assistant director of the hospital, yesterday evening.
In Kishoreganj, 112 patients were taking treatment at different hospitals in the district, said Kishoreganj Civil Surgeon Md Habibur Rahman.
EID WORRY
Worried that things could get worse during the Eid holidays when many homes in the capital would be unattended for days, the DGHS yesterday suggested that people cover traditional and western commodes before they leave.
It also asked them to remove water from the trays at the bottom of refrigerators, from air conditioning drain pipes, buckets, plant pots, and barrels.
The DGHS asked them to turn bowls, trays or kitchen pots upside down before they leave and cover water tanks.
The education ministry is also worried about the holidays. Education institutions will remain closed for 12 days.
The ministry in a circular issued yesterday asked schools to form six- to 10-member teams comprising teachers, staffers, scouts, BNCC members and students to monitor the institutions during the holidays so that Aedes mosquito do not get a free pass to breed. The teams would remove any stagnant water.
The ministry asked the offices of the institutions to remain open every day and teachers and staffers man them in terns.
MONEY FOR FIGHTING MOSQUITOES
The government has allocated Tk 51.5 crore to help Dhaka city corporations and municipalities fight mosquitoes, UNB reports
LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam came up with the information at a views-exchange meeting with Bangladesh Climate Change Journalist Forum (BCJF) at the secretariat.
Of the amount, the two Dhaka city corporations were given Tk 7.5 crore each. Tk 1 crore each was allocated for Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Chattogram city corporations.
Other city corporations received Tk 50 lakh each.
The municipalities would get Tk 30 crore.
The minister said they were conducting mosquito extermination activities following Kolkata’s experience. “The menace will be under control if everyone keeps premises of their homes and offices clean.”
He said, “Kolkata achieved a lot by raising public awareness. They say they’ve got rid of this problem as 90 percent of the people were aware of dengue.”
Meanwhile, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday asked the authorities concerned to stop spraying ineffective anti-mosquito chemicals, reports UNB.
“Effective insecticide will arrive in Dhaka within two to four days and during this period there’s no need to spray ineffective chemicals to show off,” he said after attending a cleanliness drive in the city’s Mirpur Mazar Road area.
Our, Dinajpur, Pabna, and Mymensingh correspondents also contributed to the report.