Seven More Dengue Cases in Sylhet in a Day, 49 Patients in Hospital

Dengue transmission is not abating in Sylhet. Seven more people have been infected in a single day, and 49 patients are currently admitted to hospital.

With the new cases added, the pressure of dengue patients on Sylhet's hospitals continues. The 49 admitted patients are receiving treatment under hospital supervision.

Dengue is spread mainly by the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. During and after the monsoon, the breeding of these mosquitoes increases in standing water, so the risk of infection is also higher at this time.

Experts repeatedly point out that water collected on rooftops and balconies, in flower pots, discarded containers or at under-construction buildings can become Aedes breeding grounds. Not allowing water to collect in such places is the most effective way to prevent dengue.

People are advised not to neglect symptoms such as fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, body aches or a reddish rash on the skin, and to consult a doctor quickly. The period after the fever subsides is considered particularly risky in dengue.

In children, the elderly and those already ill, dengue can quickly take a complicated turn. Such patients are therefore advised to go to hospital when symptoms appear rather than staying at home.

The number of new cases in Sylhet is fluctuating every day. Seven new patients being identified in one day means the chain of transmission has not yet stopped and there is no room to relax vigilance.

Many hospitalised patients require regular monitoring, because dengue can bring complications such as falling blood platelet counts and fluid loss from the body.

Alongside mosquito control activities in urban areas, personal precautions are equally important — using mosquito nets day and night, wearing clothes that cover the body and using mosquito repellents.

Sylhet residents are urged not to self-medicate when fever strikes, but to get tested and follow a doctor's advice. Dengue treatment is much easier when the disease is detected at an early stage.

It remains to be seen which way the dengue situation in Sylhet moves in the coming days. Only when the number of hospitalised patients begins to fall will it be clear whether the pace of transmission is truly slowing.