Dhaka, Oct 22 : A total of 814 people were diagnosed with dengue fever in Bangladesh in the past 24 hours, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) under the Ministry of Health.

With the fresh infections reported as of 8 a.m. local time, Tuesday, the number of dengue cases has surged to 61,605 in Bangladesh so far this year, the DGHS said on Tuesday.

Also in the same period, four people died due to the mosquito-borne disease, bringing the total number of dengue-related deaths this year to 253, the DGHS said.

So far in October, 14,263 dengue cases were recorded after 15,866 people were infected with the disease in September, according to the DGHS, which confirmed.

While 55 deaths were reported so far in October, there were 76 deaths in September and 39 in August, the DGHS said.

Dengue fever, typically a monsoon-season illness in Bangladesh, is now spreading beyond its usual June-September period, Xinhua news agency reported.

Dengue is a viral infection that is spread from mosquitoes to people. It is more common in tropical and subtropical than in temperate climates.

Most people who get dengue do not have symptoms. For those who do, the most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash. Most get better in 1'2 weeks. Some develop severe dengue and need care in a hospital.

In severe cases, dengue can be fatal. You can lower your risk of dengue by avoiding mosquito bites, especially during the day. Dengue is treated through pain management as there is no specific treatment currently.

The incidence of dengue has grown dramatically worldwide in recent decades, with the number of cases reported to WHO increasing from 505 430 cases in 2000 to 14.6 million in 2024. The vast majority of cases are asymptomatic or mild and self-managed, and hence the actual numbers of dengue cases are under-reported. The disease is now endemic in more than 100 countries.

In 2024, more cases of dengue were recorded than ever before in a 12-month period, affecting over 100 countries on all continents. During 2024, ongoing transmission, combined with an unexpected spike in dengue cases, resulted in a historic high of over 14.6 million cases and more than 12 000 dengue-related deaths reported. The Region of the Americas contributed a significant proportion of the global burden, with over 13 million cases reported to WHO.

/IANS