The recent rise in Dengue cases this year is a wake-up call as the mosquito-borne viral disease, once known as a Dhaka-centric infection, is spreading across Bangladesh.
It demands a concerted effort like what Bangladesh has seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are getting reports of patients from upazila and even from union level. It is no longer a disease of Dhaka city,” Dr M Mushtaq Hussain, an adviser of the government's disease monitoring agency, Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), told Dhaka Tribune on Sunday.
“We need concerted efforts like what we have seen during the pandemic,” he said.
The call came as three more deaths were reported from dengue in 24 hours till Sunday morning, raising the number of fatalities to 16 this year.
During the period, 97 more patients were hospitalized with the viral fever, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
A total of 387 dengue patients, including 338 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
So far, the DGHS has recorded 2,376 dengue cases, and 1,973 recoveries this year.
Earlier, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said the number of patients infected with dengue is five times higher than in the previous year in the past five months.
In 2022, a total of 281 people died of dengue infection while another 101 died in 2021. In 2020 and 2019 a total of 179 people died. Last year, a record 62,282 persons were infected with the disease.
This year, the number of dengue patients in the hospital increased prior to the rainy season. The Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar have been hit hard by dengue, with 1,066 cases reported this year.
What to do
The Aedes aegypti mosquito bite causes dengue which is also known as break-bone fever for its piercing headaches, muscle and joint pains along with fever.
Sometimes it shows up with atypical symptoms affecting different organs of the body. During the dengue season, doctors suggest not taking any medicines other than paracetamol without a prescription because some drugs can trigger bleeding in a patient with a dengue virus infection.
People are advised to take rest and plenty of fluids such as oral saline, and fruit juices in fever.
How it spreads
Cleaning the home is key, since the dengue mosquito breeds in clean water inside the home. It can breed even in 2ml water, which means in a small water bottle cap.
According to the World Health Organization Entomologist Dr BN Nagpal, dengue mosquitoes do not sit on the walls. It rests under the bed, sofa, chair, table, or behind the curtain or hanging clothes.
So, aerosol spray inside homes, particularly in those places, is important. It is more effective if you spray after sunrise and before sunset, Dr Nagpal said when he visited Dhaka a few years back to advise the government.
Aedes mosquitoes do not lay eggs directly inside the water.
They lay eggs on the brim of a container, half full of water. Those eggs can survive as long as one year and even in harsh conditions.
Eggs hatch rapidly when the container is fully poured. This is why experts suggest removing water from all containers, coconut shells, construction sites, tires, and tubes thrown anywhere.
For example, if the mosquito lays eggs in a bucket which is later transported to another place, then the mosquito can easily breed there.
According to the information provided by the DGHS, Aedes larvae were found in 39.37% of high-rise buildings in Dhaka, in 32.28% of under-construction buildings, in 14.1% of flower tubs and trays, in 18.1% of plastic containers, and on 12.1% of waterlogged floors.
How to prevent
For larvicide, killing at the larval life stage, WHO suggests the use of Temephos 1 gram in 10 litres of water.
The local government authorities in Bangladesh are tasked to destroy mosquito breeding grounds and raise public awareness.
Analysts argue that the health ministry should take the lead role like what was seen during the malaria control in the late 60s and early 70s. The health ministry even sprayed insecticides, apart from treating patients, during that time to tackle the epidemic.
Dr Mushtaq, however, said for creating public awareness, the local government's involvement is the key.
“You need the participation of the local representatives – mayors, chairman for public mobilization. What we need is basically strong coordination among all like the Covid-19 management.”
