The number of dengue cases recorded this year surpassed the figure for the corresponding period last year for the first time today, signalling a sharp rise in infections in recent weeks.
A total of 28,090 dengue patients were reported between January 1 and August 22 this year, compared with 27,955 during the same period in 2025, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
A total of 702 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals in the 24 hours till 8:00am today, while no deaths were reported during the period.
Although the dengue death toll remains lower than last year, with 77 deaths recorded so far this year against 110 during the corresponding period last year, the rising number of cases is putting pressure on the country's already stretched healthcare system.
The growing dengue caseload comes at a particularly difficult time for the health sector, which is still dealing with the prolonged measles outbreak.
Hospitals across the country continue to admit around 900 measles patients a day, putting additional pressure on beds, doctors, nurses and other essential resources at a time when dengue cases are also increasing.
A total of 18,596 patients were admitted to hospitals with measles or measles-like symptoms in the first 21 days of August, averaging 885 admissions a day, according to DGHS data.
“We are aware of the ‘double burden’ and taking steps to deal with the situation,” Nurul Islam, director (hospital) of DGHS, told The Daily Star last night.
He said they held a meeting with all civil surgeons, directors and superintendents of public hospitals last week and asked them to take steps to arrange additional beds to cope with a possible rise in patients.
Major public hospitals in Dhaka, which handled thousands of dengue patients in previous years, remain heavily occupied by measles cases. Experts fear a further rise in dengue infections could stretch already limited resources and disrupt treatment services.
The concern is particularly acute because the DNCC Dedicated Covid-19 Hospital, which treated the highest number of dengue patients last year, has been operating exclusively as a measles hospital since mid-March. It treated 6,484 dengue patients last year, according to DGHS data.
Asked about the matter, Nurul Islam said another inter-ministerial meeting was held last week, where representatives from Dhaka north and south city corporations were present and all these aspects were discussed.
“We are working on all the issues,” he said, adding that the positive thing was that the death toll remained lower than it was at the same time last year.
DGHS data show dengue cases have risen sharply in August this year, pushing the cumulative number above the corresponding figure for last year.
The number of dengue cases and deaths stood at 3,197 and five respectively from January 1 to May 31. During the same period last year, 4,345 dengue cases were recorded.
The number of dengue cases and deaths stood at 15,310 and 54 respectively till July 31 this year, compared with 20,980 cases and 83 deaths during the same period last year.
A total of 12,780 dengue cases were recorded in the first 21 days of August, accounting for 45 percent of the total dengue cases recorded this year, the data show.
The number of dengue cases recorded in the first 21 days of August last year was 6,975.
Like last year, Barishal division accounted for the highest number of cases. A total of 4,873 cases were recorded in the division till today this year, compared with 9,399 cases during the same period last year.
