Worst Dengue Outbreak in Bangladesh

300,000 Cases, Records 1,549 Deaths

Media reports on Monday stated that Bangladesh is facing its most severe outbreak of the vector-borne disease, with Dengue cases surpassing 300,000.

As per data from the Directorate General of Health Services, Bangladesh has reported a total of 301,255 dengue infections and 1,549 deaths from the viral disease this year, according to bdnews24.com.

The report indicates that on Sunday, 1,291 new cases of the viral fever were recorded. Presently, a total of 4,949 patients, with 1,127 in Dhaka, are under treatment in hospitals nationwide.

Following the 71,976 cases and 342 deaths in August, September marked a record high with 79,598 dengue cases and 396 deaths during the worst outbreak. Subsequently, October reported 67,769 cases and 359 deaths.

In the initial 19 days of November, the death toll reached 201, with 30,080 new dengue cases reported. The outbreak is attributed to a prolonged monsoon, increasing temperatures, and insufficient measures to eliminate the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the recognized carrier of the dengue virus, as per the report.

A government-funded pre-monsoon survey in Dhaka identified a concerning increase in the Aedes aegypti mosquito population, contributing to the most extensive spread of the disease in the past five years. Hospitals in Bangladesh reported 62,382 patients seeking medical care for the disease last year.