In a dire development, Bangladesh is grappling with its most devastating dengue outbreak on record, with official data revealing that over 1,000 lives have been claimed by the mosquito-borne disease.
Alarming figures released by the Bangladesh Directorate General of Health Services show that since the start of the year, 1,017 individuals, including more than 100 children, have succumbed to dengue, while infections have surged past 208,000.
Traditionally, dengue cases in Bangladesh peak during the monsoon season between July and September. However, this year witnessed an early onset of the outbreak, commencing in late April. Prolonged monsoons and warmer temperatures, exacerbated by irregular heavy rainfall, created ideal breeding conditions for the Aedes mosquito, responsible for transmitting the dengue virus.
The influx of patients has strained the country's healthcare system, causing shortages of beds and medical staff. Shockingly, the fatalities from this outbreak are nearly four times higher than the previous year when 281 lives were lost. September alone witnessed over 79,600 reported cases and 396 deaths, according to Bangladeshi health authorities.
Worryingly, there are concerns that the outbreak may extend into the cooler months. Last year, dengue cases peaked in October, with most deaths occurring in November. Dengue, a viral infection also known as breakbone fever, manifests with flu-like symptoms such as severe headaches, muscle and joint pain, fever, and, in some severe cases, internal bleeding and death. There is currently no specific treatment for the disease.
Dengue is endemic in over 100 countries, infecting 100 million to 400 million people annually, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO).Previously, outbreaks were primarily confined to densely populated urban areas like the capital, Dhaka. However, this year, infections have rapidly spread to every district, including rural regions.
WHO's Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced last month that the UN agency is actively supporting the Bangladeshi government to strengthen various aspects of response, including surveillance, lab capacity, clinical management, vector control, risk communication, and community engagement during the outbreak.
Public health experts in Bangladesh are advocating for increased prioritization of dengue and a focus on prevention measures, emphasizing early detection and access to adequate healthcare services, especially considering that repeat dengue infections can be more severe and lethal.
This issue extends beyond Bangladesh, as the global prevalence of dengue has surged eight-fold over the past two decades, according to WHO. As the climate crisis escalates due to fossil fuel emissions, mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever are expected to spread further and pose a greater threat to human health.
In 2023, dengue outbreaks are wreaking havoc in various regions. South America, particularly Peru, is battling its worst outbreak on record, while Florida has declared alerts in response to cases.In Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia have witnessed spikes in cases. Even sub-Saharan African nations like Chad have reported outbreaks.
WHO's alert and response director, Abdi Mahamud, described these outbreaks as a "canary in the coalmine of the climate crisis" and warned that "more and more countries" are grappling with "the heavy burden of these diseases."