by Naim-Ul-Karim

DHAKA, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Over 2,000 fresh cases of dengue fever were reported in Bangladesh so far this month, bringing the total number of confirmed cases this year to 4,247 in the South Asian country.

Ayesha Akhter, assistant director at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) under the Ministry of Health, told Xinhua on Monday that "152 fresh cases of dengue were reported in the 24 hours as of 8:00 a.m. local time Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases till July 15 this month in the country to 2,164."

She said the number was 946 in July last year.

According to the official, three people died in Bangladesh due to dengue fever since January. "While one death was reported this month, there were two deaths in April," said the official.

An official of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) under the Health Ministry said on condition of anonymity that both the number of patients and the death toll could be much higher.

He said all the hospitals and clinics in the country are not properly providing information about their dengue patients to the relevant government departments.

The official said some 10,148 people were infected with dengue fever last year and "26 of them died."

The June-September monsoon period is the season of dengue fever in Bangladesh which is considered a high-risk nation for mosquito-borne diseases.

The south Asian country with a population of about 160 million is especially vulnerable to virus because of insufficient biosecurity and deficient disease surveillance.

Mayor Sayeed Khokon of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) said they have taken the initiative for more cleanliness in households and surroundings as part of the preventive measures to destroy breeding species of the Aedes mosquito.

As part of the initiative, he said, the DSCC expert teams have been visiting dengue prone areas in the city and inform people on how to destroy all potential breeding sites.

The mayor said DSCC mobile medical teams will provide free treatment and free medicines for dengue patients. A hotline for the dengue patients will open soon.

The first case of mosquito-borne viral infection was reported in Bangladesh in 2000, and some 100 people died from the disease in 2000-2003.