Dhaka: Bangladesh has reported 3,122 new dengue cases in a 24-hour period, marking the highest number of patients hospitalized in a day due to the mosquito-borne illness this year. During the same time frame, 18 more deaths were recorded due to dengue, bringing the total death count from the disease to 822 for the year, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Of the new dengue cases, 849 patients were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka, while the rest were hospitalized outside the capital. Currently, 10,437 dengue patients, including 4,066 in Dhaka, are receiving treatment at hospitals across the country. In total, DGHS has reported 167,684 dengue cases this year, with 156,425 recoveries.

The number of dengue-related fatalities this month alone has reached 229, indicating the continued spread of the disease. In 2022, Bangladesh registered 281 dengue deaths, the highest number on record, surpassing the 179 deaths recorded in 2019.

UNICEF has announced it will provide medical support worth USD 2.25 million to Bangladesh to help contain the dengue outbreak. The assistance includes urgently needed testing kits, professional training, critical supplies, and services in the health, water, sanitation, and hygiene sectors. The outbreak has now spread to 64 districts in Bangladesh.