Dengue deaths in Bangladesh have reached 303 this year, with four more fatalities reported in the past 24 hours. Another 2,193 patients were hospitalised during the period.
Despite repeated warnings from entomologists and national mosquito-control guidelines, gaps in implementation by city corporations, municipalities and union-level authorities have raised concerns over the government’s response. The outbreak remains alarming in October following a surge in September.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) disclosed the figures in its regular dengue report on Sunday.
Of the latest deaths, two were reported outside city corporation areas in Khulna division, while Chittagong and Rajshahi divisions recorded one each.
Dhaka division, excluding city corporation areas, reported the highest number of hospitalisations at 530. Khulna recorded 304, Chittagong 293, Barisal 236, Dhaka North and South city corporations 250 each, Rajshahi 160, Rangpur 84, Mymensingh 70 and Sylhet 16.
Experts call for science-based mosquito control
Professor Kabirul Bashar, an entomologist at Jahangirnagar University’s Department of Zoology, said the risk of a surge in dengue cases had been anticipated, but inadequate action had hampered control efforts despite repeated warnings.
He warned that infections and deaths could rise further this month compared with September, with the outbreak potentially continuing into November.
Bashar called for effective mosquito-control programmes based on scientific evidence.
Public health expert Dr Mushtaq Hossain said reducing dengue infections could take time, with effective mosquito-control measures potentially requiring two to three years to deliver results. In the meantime, reducing deaths must be the top priority, he said.
He called for dengue testing facilities to be made available in high-incidence areas so that people with fever could be tested promptly. Patients who test positive must receive appropriate treatment and care at all levels, including district, upazila and secondary-level hospitals, he added.
Hossain also stressed the need for sustained cleanliness drives and systematic, science-based mosquito control. Token campaigns and routine sweeping of homes would not be enough to contain dengue, he said, urging planned measures to eliminate adult mosquitoes.
Doctors urge prompt treatment
Medicine specialist Dr ABM Abdullah said dengue prevention required both eliminating Aedes mosquito breeding sites and killing adult mosquitoes. He called for regular sanitation drives by authorities and personal precautions against mosquito bites.
Some patients' conditions were deteriorating rapidly, with a few developing severe complications and going into shock within one or two days, he said. Anyone developing a fever should seek medical advice promptly rather than ignore the symptoms.
He urged particular caution for children, older people, pregnant women and patients with cancer or liver disease.
Dengue patients should take adequate fluids, Abdullah said, advising those experiencing vomiting, difficulty eating or diarrhoea to seek medical attention without delay. He also warned against taking painkillers without medical advice.
Early treatment improves the chances of recovery, while delays can make the condition more difficult to manage, particularly if the patient develops shock or has other underlying illnesses, he added.
Dr Muhammad Nurul Islam, deputy director of Mugda Medical College Hospital, said people were being infected with different dengue virus variants over the years. A second infection could be one possible reason for the rapid deterioration observed in some children, he said.
He stressed that people should take dengue symptoms seriously even before receiving a confirmed diagnosis. Patients should be closely monitored and take medicines and undergo tests as advised by a physician, he added.
Government has not failed to control dengue: Health Minister
Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain said the dengue virus had changed, causing some patients' conditions to deteriorate rapidly.
Doctors had been cautioned about plasma leakage and had taken precautions, but some patients were now experiencing heart attacks or shock, he said, warning that death could occur within minutes in such cases.
Asked whether the government had failed to control dengue, the minister said, “I do not think the government has failed.”
He said medical teams were following the prescribed treatment protocols, while cleanliness drives were being conducted every Saturday. Authorities were also spraying to kill adult mosquitoes and using tablets to destroy larvae, he added.
Bangladesh's high population density and public unawareness were contributing to stagnant water accumulating in various places, including rooftop flowerpots, creating breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes, the minister said.
He said the government was continuing awareness campaigns and other measures to tackle the outbreak, adding that it had never claimed dengue had been completely eradicated.