DHAKA,Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh is facing a challenge in dealing with a higher number of casualties and infections from dengue this year, and officials have warned that the death toll for this month could surpass previous records.
The government’s Directorate General of Health Services has reported that the number of deaths from dengue in 2023 has reached 364 in this South Asian country. Since January this year, more than 78,000 people have been infected, according to the report.
Officials are concerned that the number of deaths and infections this month could set a new, grim record. In the first 10 days of August, over 23,000 people were diagnosed with dengue, compared to 43,854 cases in the entire month of July. So far this month, more than 100 people have died from the illness, which is over a third of the total number of deaths last year.
According to government figures, in 2022, 62,382 people were infected and 281 people died from dengue.
Dengue causes flu-like symptoms, from which most people recover, but it can also lead to internal bleeding, organ failure, and death. While there is no specific treatment for the disease, vaccines are available. Outbreaks have also been reported in other countries, such as Cyprus and Bolivia, this year.
Experts believe that the monsoon season could worsen the outbreak in a country with a population of over 160 million people. According to experts, intermittent rains in August are one of the main reasons for the outbreak. With many people working outdoors on construction sites, including residential and large infrastructure projects in the capital city of Dhaka, the risk of infection increases.
Infected individuals are overwhelming hospitals across the country, and some doctors and nurses lack sufficient experience and training in treating dengue cases, according to experts.
Mohammed Niatuzzaman, Director of Mugdha Medical Collage Hospital, stated that they are facing difficulties in providing critical support to seriously ill patients with other underlying conditions. Many of these critical patients have died, he added.
Individuals with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, or those with co-morbidities like diabetes, kidney dialysis, or organ transplants, are particularly vulnerable to dengue, Niatuzzaman said.
The Ministry of Health has provided additional beds in state-run hospitals in Dhaka and elsewhere, but a shortage of IV saline has become a challenge. Manufacturers have been asked to increase production of IV fluid.
Niatuzzaman emphasized the importance of fighting the disease on multiple fronts.
“Preventing dengue requires individual and collective efforts. Doctors alone cannot solve this issue. If we work together, show awareness, and act responsibly, our collective effort can prevent dengue,” he said.
Two city corporations in Dhaka have established emergency teams to coordinate anti-mosquito efforts and have urged residents to be aware of the breeding possibilities of Aedes mosquitoes, which are prevalent in the region.
Mobile teams have been deployed to search homes for stagnant water that could serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
However, local residents have given the government’s efforts mixed reviews.
Salma Jahan, a resident of Dhaka and mother of a dengue patient, expressed her concerns.
“The government took many measures last time. They sprayed insecticide in various water bodies and their surroundings in our area. They also visited people’s homes and applied liquid insecticide to drains and dirty areas. We still have such areas, but no insecticide is being used,” she said, questioning the effectiveness of these treatments.
According to Jahan, the teams come with insecticide every few days, “but the mosquitoes do not die from it.”