The Dengue Fever Outbreak In Bangladesh
The dengue outbreak is at its worst situation in the history of Bangladesh. Still now we have seen totaling 11,654 dengue cases nationwide between January 1 and July 28 this year, according to the data provided by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). 824 were found infected by the mosquito-borne viral disease. Dengue (pronounced den’ gee) is a disease caused by any one of the four closely related viruses (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, or DEN-4). The viruses are transmitted to humans by an infected mosquito. The most important transmitter of dengue viruses is the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Although a 2001 outbreak in Hawaii was transmitted by Aedes albopictus. It is estimated that there are over 100 million cases of dengue worldwide each year. The breeding period of Aedes mosquito is between July to October. The Dhaka City Corporation larval survey revealed that Aedes egg concentration in Dhaka is highest in (1) uncovered water tanks, (2) open cemented water tanks in under-construc¬tion buildings, (3) old tires in open space, and (4) stuck water in flower tub. All city dwellers must pay highest attention to these sites, side-by-side the other identified common sites.
Dengue is not new in Bangladesh. It has appeared to be a seasonal disease. It was first appeared in 1965. Then dengue was detected as “Dhaka Fever”. In 1999, 13.7% children were found infected with dengue virus in a serological survey by Chittagong Medical College. Then in 2000, 93 people died of the dengue. Since 2003, the death rate has gradually decreased with zero fatalities in some years, according to the data of Directorate-General of Health Services (DGHS). People of Bangladesh have seen more than 6,000 cases of dengue only three times in 2002, 2016, and 2018. But so far this year, the number of cases of dengue fever has broken all previous records. From beginning of January through July 30, DGHS has officially recorded 15,369 dengue patients. Only in July, 13,182 patients were diagnosed with dengue. The number of people admitted to hospitals with dengue infection this year is on its way to cross the highest annual tally of dengue cases in the last two decades. Government data confirms the death of eight people only between January to July this year, although unofficial death figures stand at a minimum of 33. DGHS data shows that the number of people diagnosed with dengue is also on the rise outside Dhaka as well. About 611 cases have been reported so far in various districts of eight divisions.
The government has failed to address the dengue situation as the viral disease turned worse and spread quickly across the country. Competent sources claimed that Dhaka City Corporation failed to collect larvi¬cide and adulticide to kill the Aedes mosquito, the carrier of dengue virus. As a result, the breeding of Aedes caused the spread of dengue in an “epidemic” proportion. Currently all the medicine being sprayed in the city and elsewhere in the country is not actually for killing normal mosquitoes, or maybe the drives are simple the eyewash, the sources said on condition of anonymity. It was also mentioned that the Dhaka City Corporation is least prepared against the Aedes-borne disease. The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has decided to keep using the existing ineffective pesticides in its stock to fight Aedes mosquitoe. DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam also admitted that the insecticide did not work at a meeting with editors of different newspapers, online news portals and television media at Gulshan Club. Since the spread of dengue has not been contained using the existing ones, the High Court had asked the chief health officers of both city corporations to import effective insecticides by as early as possible.
