Dengue outbreak could turn severe in Oct: Experts
As of today, 50,689 people have been infected this year
The dengue situation in Bangladesh has taken a worrying turn, with the outbreak spreading from Dhaka to remote areas nationwide. Health experts warn cases could rise further in October.
They also warned that without urgent, coordinated intervention, dengue could become endemic nationwide.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), dengue infections outside the capital are now almost three times higher than in Dhaka. As of yesterday, a total of 50,689 people have been infected this year, including 35,345 cases outside Dhaka and 13,507 within the city. The disease has claimed 215 lives so far.
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In the past 24 hours alone, three people have died of dengue, while 782 new infections were reported—571 of them from outside Dhaka.
Medical entomologist Dr Kabirul Bashar, professor of zoology at Jahangirnagar University, told The Business Standard that a recent survey indicate that dengue infections will rise further this month.
"If timely measures are not taken, it could become an endemic disease nationwide," he said.
Public health expert Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed described the situation as "alarming," warning that local transmission is now occurring even in villages. "Previously, cases were imported from cities, but now the infection is spreading locally," he said.
He added that despite 25 years of surveillance by the two Dhaka city corporations, the crisis has escalated, with dengue spreading to rural areas like Barguna, Shariatpur, and Rajbari, where mosquito control measures and healthcare facilities are inadequate.
"As dengue spreads outside Dhaka, mortality and morbidity will rise, and many families will fall into catastrophic health expenditure while seeking treatment," Dr Be-Nazir said.
He urged the Chief Adviser to launch a special nationwide dengue prevention drive involving the health, local government, and finance ministries.
Barguna: A dengue hotspot
Barishal division has reported the highest number of dengue cases outside Dhaka, with 14,055 infections and 33 deaths so far this year.
Within the division, Barguna has emerged as the hotspot, recording 7,488 hospitalisations and 14 fatalities.
Dr Tahmina Shirin, director of the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), said a recent survey revealed that high iron levels in Barguna's water have caused an acute shortage of drinking water.
Residents often store rainwater in drums, inadvertently creating ideal breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes.
She added that stored water should not be kept for more than two days, but due to the water crisis, residents often refill half-used water instead, allowing mosquito larvae to thrive.
Long-term measures a must
Medical entomologist Dr Kabirul Bashar warned that dengue is gradually spreading beyond Dhaka and urged immediate long-term planning to combat the outbreak nationwide.
He emphasised that proper treatment must be available at the upazila level to prevent unnecessary referrals between hospitals, which increase the risk of plasma leakage and death.
Dr Bashar also stressed the importance of hotspot management, including larviciding and source reduction around infected households. "Awareness is key—every household must discard stagnant water inside and outside their homes at least once a week," he said.
