August turns deadliest as Bangladesh records 593 dengue deaths

DHAKA, Bangladesh

At least 342 people died of dengue this August, the deadliest month ever in Bangladesh since the health authorities started recording dengue cases in 2000.

On the last day of August on Thursday, the country reported 17 additional deaths due to dengue, including 16 in the capital Dhaka, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The total number of deaths from mosquito-borne dengue fever rose to 593 since January this year. Of the total deaths, 438 were reported from Dhaka.

Meanwhile, 2,308 new cases of hospitalizations were reported across the country, including 875 from Dhaka, DGHS data showed.

The total cases of hospitalizations stood now at 123,808, including 71,976 cases in August alone. Of the total cases, 58,021 infections were registered in Dhaka.

Last year, 281 people died due to dengue in the South Asian country.

The high number of cases has already started putting pressure on the health systems in the country, warned the World Health Organization (WHO).

As the endemic dengue situation continues to worsen, the World Bank Thursday approved $200 million to help tackle the crisis.

Dengue is a viral infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes but there is no specific treatment for the infection.