Dengue spreads with death toll crossing 200 in Bangladesh

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – Entomologists described the dengue situation in Bangladesh as epidemic as the country on Tuesday reported 16 more deaths taking the death toll to 201 this year.

They said the dengue has spread to 64 districts of the South Asian country and the situation has gone out of control.

Dengue, also called break-bone fever, is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people.

The latest deaths and cases are mostly from the capital Dhaka. Of the total deaths on Tuesday, 14 people died in Dhaka.

The health authorities on Tuesday also reported a record 2,418 new dengue cases, taking the total cases to 37,688 since January 2023. However, 7,927 people were being treated across the country in hospitals. Of them, 4,646 were from Dhaka.

The total casualties stood at 201, including 162 from Dhaka, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Entomologist and professor of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University Kabirul Bashar told Anadolu: “There is a link between the intensified dengue cases and global climate change. Dengue has become a problem all year round due to tolerable temperature during winter.”

“The changing weather and unusual flooding during the rainy season have changed the nature of dengue, and its breeding period. Dengue mosquitoes now can lay eggs in both fresh and unclean water and can bite in day and night,” he added.

Last year, 281 people died due to dengue, the highest in the history of the country.

He warned that the dengue situation is worsening and will deteriorate further in the coming days. The next two months, August and September, would be more difficult for Bangladesh as the rainy season came late this year.

Bashar called for a social anti-dengue campaign and increased measures from the authorities concerned.