Photo: Collected
Naturally, Aedes mosquitoes thrive in the rainy season and bite people during that time. However, in the last couple of years, cases of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, have been on the rise even in winter due to rapidly changing climates.
Although the incidence of dengue is lower in the winter season, a total of 14 people has died from dengue in January this year. Among them, 8 people died in Dhaka, and 6 people died outside Dhaka. During this period, 1,055 people were infected with dengue fever across the country, with an overall mortality rate of 1.3 percent, according to the Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room.
In January, 358 people were infected with dengue in Dhaka, while the number of patients outside Dhaka was almost double at 697. By the end of January, 928 dengue patients had recovered and been discharged from the hospital.
Dr Kabirul Bashar, a medical entomologist and professor of the zoology department at Jahangirnagar University (JU), told The Daily Messenger, “In this year's Aedes survey, we found the presence of larvae higher than ever before.”
Professor Bashar added that due to the winter weather, dengue cases will decrease after a few days, but it will continue to infect people in all seasons as the climate is changing rapidly.
In the first three weeks of January, the number of people who died due to dengue is more than double that of the previous 24 years. Over the last 24 years, the number of patients infected with Aedes mosquito-borne diseases has increased 18 times in January compared to the average rate in January. The number of infections has already exceeded that of any January in the past.
Although dengue has been endemic in Bangladesh for many years, it broke all previous records in 2023. With the increased number of cases this year, the death toll has also reached its highest level.
Over the past 23 years, a total of 868 people has died from dengue in the country. However, this year, a total of 1,697 people has died due to dengue so far. In other words, the number of deaths in the last one year surpasses the cumulative deaths in the previous 23 years.
According to monthly data, 566 people were hospitalised due to dengue in January, 166 in February 2023, and the number of admitted patients in the first 25 days of December 2023 is 8,658.
Experts attribute several reasons to this situation in Bangladesh, such as unplanned urbanisation over the past decade, the failure of authorities to control mosquitoes, and deficiencies in the health sector. For many years, the two city corporations of Dhaka and various government agencies have taken various measures to control dengue, such as spreading mosquito repellents and raising awareness, but dengue is still not under control.
Earlier, in December 2022, the country witnessed 27 dengue deaths and 5,024 hospitalisations, and in the same month of 2021, there were 7 deaths and 1,207 hospitalisations. No dengue deaths were reported in December 2020.
Messenger/Disha
