Cox's Bazar has become a den of dengue mosquitoes, registering over 15,000 cases and 33 deaths this year.
The local authorities have blamed a lack of awareness and abrupt use of plastic items, which are a hotbed for the Aedes mosquitoes, for the rapid spread of the disease.
The situation is terrible mainly in the Rohingya camps, where over 1.2 million of the displaced Myanmar population have taken refuge since 2017.
According to information from the Civil Surgeon's Office, from January this year to the 18th of this month, 33 people died of dengue, including 27 Rohingyas, in Cox's Bazar. Among them, 22 died while under treatment in Sadar Hospital, 10 died in Camp Hospital and one died at home.
In Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital, people with dengue are scattered on the seats and on the floor. The patients are taking treatment for various ailments, including fever and headache.
So far, 15,330 people have been infected with dengue in Cox's Bazar where the number of affected Rohingyas is 13,886.
Some areas of Baidyaghona, Pahartali, Kutubdia Para, Tekpara, Samitipara, Nuniyachra and Teknaf Upazila of Cox's Bazar have been identified as the most dengue affected areas. Camp-4, Camp-3, Camp 1/East, Camp-24, 26 and 11 of Ukhiya-Teknaf have also been identified.
In these areas, excess plastic use is said to be the main cause of dengue outbreak since the Aedes mosquitoes breed on stagnant water stored on abandoned plastic bottles and polythene.
School teacher Faridul Alam, a resident of Samitypara, said: "Even though there are Aedes mosquito larvae in the rotten and foul-smelling water accumulated in reservoirs and drains at various places, the municipality has no initiative to destroy them. That is why dengue is spreading from house to house.”
Jasim Uddin, a local from Samitipara area of the city, has been in hospital for two days. He described being infected with dengue. He said that when he first developed a fever, he did not care because it seemed normal. When the fever was increasing for a few days, he went to the doctor and was diagnosed with dengue.
Mahidur Rahman, a resident of Tekpara in the city, said that four members of his family, including two children, were affected by dengue. He expressed his anger that there was no visible action to control dengue or mosquitoes.
Dr Ashiqul Rahman, Resident Medical Officer (RMO) of Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital, said that 328 dengue patients had been admitted to upazila health clinics, including 49 people in Sadar Hospital, this month. The patients are receiving treatment in Rohingya camp hospitals.
He was disappointed at the lack of effective measures to kill mosquitoes. He advised people to go to the doctor immediately instead of taking treatment at home.
According to Civil Surgeon Mahbubur Rahman, the amount of water accumulated in the Rohingya shelter camps is high. People there are not aware about Aedes mosquitoes. Moreover, a big reason behind dengue is that plastic products are not used in a planned manner.
Head of health department of Cox's Bazar Refugee Relief and Repatriation Office Dr Toha said: "At present, the incidence of dengue in the Rohingya camps is decreasing. We are working on the awareness of Rohingyas as well as dengue habitat destruction. Hopefully, the dengue outbreak in the camp will come down very soon.”
Cox's Bazar Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mizanur Rahman said people living in the camps use excess plastic. As a result, water accumulates in the abandoned plastic bottles, bags and food packets.