Chittagong City Correspondent

Despite the arrival of cooler weather, Chattogram continues to experience an unrelenting rise in dengue cases.

On Tuesday, a 60-year-old woman, Antahera from Pekua in Cox’s Bazar, succumbed to dengue-related complications at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), bringing the city’s November death toll to eight, with a total of 513 cases so far this month.

In total, 3,448 people have contracted dengue in Chattogram this year, with 33 fatalities, of whom 18 were women.

According to health officials, the DEN-2 variant, reportedly originating from India and Myanmar, is largely responsible for the increased severity of cases, particularly among patients with chronic health conditions. Late hospital visits are another major factor contributing to the higher death rate, as highlighted by Dr. Jahangir Alam Azadi, Chattogram’s Civil Surgeon.

In the last 24 hours, 43 new cases have been identified, with patients being treated at CMCH, BITID, General Hospital, CMH, and various private facilities. Nationally, dengue-related fatalities have reached 367 this year, with 1,211 new cases reported on Tuesday alone.

Doctors urge residents not to neglect symptoms, stressing early testing within the first three days of fever. They advise patients to rest, drink fluids, and avoid unnecessary antibiotics. For those exhibiting severe symptoms like vomiting, abdominal pain, or blood in stool, immediate hospitalization is essential.

Although low platelet count causes concern, experts clarify that this alone does not justify panic or require platelet transfusion, as treatment should depend on the patient’s overall condition.