Dengue Devastation: Over 1000 Lives Lost In Bangladesh’s Alarming Outbreak

Bangladesh recorded more than 1,000 people’s deaths because of Dengue, which is 4 times more deaths than it recorded last year. According to the authorities, there is an outbreak in Bangladesh that is getting out of hand and causing more deaths.

Most of the deaths are reported to have a repeated infection, which is more complicated and deadly. This mosquito-borne disease has taken out 1017 people since January 2023, which includes more than 100 children in this figure. The infection is rising with 208,000 cases now as per the Bangladesh Directorate of General Health Services on Monday.

This disease usually prevails during the months of monsoon, but with the climate crisis at hand, the disease is uncontrollable. The early admission of dengue disease in this year reported was towards the end of April 2023. This summer Bangladesh experienced irregular heavy rainfall and warmer temperatures which is ideal for the rise of Aedes mosquitos. As per the research, this breed of mosquitos is the cause of dengue disease.

With the outbreak of Dengue, Bangladesh is facing a strain on its healthcare system and they are running out of hospital beds and staff. According to reports, 281 were killed from Dengue last year which has multiplied 4 times this year. September 2023 recorded 79,600 cases and 396 deaths alone.

It is considered that the numbers will spike in the cooling months, as the same thing happened during the months of October and November last year. This viral disease has symptoms like high fever, severe headaches, vomiting, and muscle pain. 

How Is Dengue Deadly?

This is the most common infection, yet has been proven deadly over time. Japanese researchers have found that Aedes mosquitos have grown resistant to insecticides. With a series of mutations, they are immune to the chemicals and more deadlier than ever. 

Two antiviral drugs for Dengue have been developed but there is no sign of eliminating this disease from its roots. And with repeated infection, it has become more complicated to treat the patients and the outcome is not pretty. 

To this date, there is no direct medicine for dengue fever. People are treated with medicine to treat fever and pain. And the dengue test alone takes 2-3 days to come alive.

With no vaccine at hand and no chemicals to eradicate these mosquitoes, the chances for human life are pretty low. Especially with the rise in global warming where the weather plays a part in breeding these mosquitoes. 

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Dengue All Around The World

According to WHO, this disease is endemic in more than 129 countries every year. And 100 million to 400 million people get infected by this disease every year. It does affect densely populated regions more than rural areas. However, this theory has not been proved in the case of Bangladesh this year.

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This is not just in Bangladesh, due to global warming there has been an increase in Dengue cases all around the world. South America has seen the worst outbreak of Dengue this year with Peru and Florida. European countries are high on alert for Dengue and Chikungunya. Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, and other nations have also seen a rise in Dengue cases. 

With the world experiencing the outbreak of Dengue, yellow fever, Zika, and chikungunya, the WHO alerts this a “canary of coal mine”. This is a warning sign of a larger problem that is coming shortly. Death by mosquitoes is not a silly thing anymore and this warning needs to be taken seriously.

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