Dengue kills 101 as Bangladesh stares at major outbreak
Health authorities fear mosquito-borne disease deaths could surge
- Bangladesh has recorded 101 deaths and 24,183 confirmed cases of dengue fever so far this year, with public health experts warning of a significant surge in the coming weeks.
- The mosquito-borne disease has seen a rapid increase in fatalities, with 19 deaths in the first 10 days of August alone, following 41 in July, placing immense pressure on hospitals.
- Experts attribute the escalating outbreak to a combination of warm, humid weather, intermittent rainfall, and climate change, creating ideal breeding conditions for Aedes mosquitoes.
- Prof Kabirul Bashar warned that hospitals could be overwhelmed without aggressive intervention, predicting August cases might triple July's numbers and peak in September.
- Recommendations for control include nationwide mosquito-control drives, community clean-ups, removal of stagnant water, and restructuring healthcare to strengthen district hospitals and expand testing.