Dengue infections have risen sharply in Chittagong with the onset of the monsoon, as the number of cases recorded in the first 23 days of July has already exceeded the total reported during the previous six months.
According to the Chittagong Civil Surgeon’s Office, 356 people were hospitalized with dengue between July 1 and July 23, compared with 298 cases recorded from January through June. Overall, 654 dengue patients have been admitted to hospitals in the district between January 1 and July 23, while two people have died from the disease.
Health officials attributed the sharp increase to continuous rainfall, stagnant water, and the rapid breeding of Aedes mosquitoes, warning that infections could rise further unless mosquito control measures are strengthened and public awareness improves.
Data show that July has become the worst month of the year so far, with 356 infections recorded in just 23 days, compared with 122 in June, 37 in May, 29 in April, 20 in March, 22 in February, and 68 in January. Of the total patients, 260 are residents of Chittagong city, 262 are from the district’s upazilas, and 132 are from other districts under the division, while 376 are men, 165 are women, and 113 are children.
Eight wards declared high-risk dengue hotspots
A recent survey by Chittagong Divisional Health Department found Aedes mosquitoes in every ward of the city and identified eight wards as the most vulnerable to dengue transmission: North Kattali (Ward 10), Pahartali (Ward 3), Alkaran (Ward 2), West Bakalia (Ward 17), South Bakalia (Ward 19), South Halishahar (Ward 39), Patharghata (Ward 34), and Andarkilla (Ward 32).
The survey showed that 70–80% of the mosquitoes collected were Aedes aegypti, the primary carrier of the dengue virus, while the remaining 20–30% were Aedes albopictus. Among the district’s 15 upazilas, Sitakunda reported the highest number of infections with 64 cases, followed by Lohagara and Raozan with 23 each, Patiya and Mirsharai with 18 each, Banshkhali with 16, Satkania with 15, Anwara with 13, Rangunia with 11, Hathazari with 8, Chandanaish with 7, Sandwip with 6, Fatikchhari with 4, and Boalkhali with 2 cases.
Authorities intensify preparedness and prevention efforts
Chittagong Civil Surgeon Dr. Jahangir Alam said dengue is a mosquito-borne disease and stressed that eliminating mosquito breeding sites remains the most effective way to curb transmission. He said all government hospitals have been equipped with the necessary medicines and treatment facilities, while the Health Department has completed preparations to cope with a possible increase in patients.
City Corporation officials said mosquito control operations have been intensified across all 41 wards, with a trained 60-member team deployed to spray insecticides in hotspot areas and 205 spray workers conducting regular larvicide operations, while sufficient insecticide stocks have been secured for the next six months.
