Bangladesh is battling one of the worst outbreaks of dengue. According to a BBC report, nearly 1,000 people have died of dengue in Bangladesh in past few weeks. The disease, which saw the first outbreak in Bangladesh in the year 2000, has claimed 22 lives everyday for past two months, the BBC report added. The intense monsoon season has helped the Aedes mosquitoes to carry the virus across the country. The wet conditions and stagnant water have helped the mosquitoes to breed. Authorities are struggling to check the spread of the virus. The report says that hospitals across the country are under immense pressure with several critical cases coming everyday.
Bangladesh used to see dengue outbreak as a seasonal disease. But with climate change, the rainy season have become more humid and hotter, thereby aiding the spread of the virus. This has also led to mutation of the virus giving way to a much stronger strain. The report says that the doctors in Bangladesh have been reporting about how the health of the patients are worsening at much faster rate. More and more people are suffering internal bleeding, which has resulted in deaths in several cases. Some of the major symptoms in dengue cases include muscle pain, nausea among other things.
The BBC report says that the total number of dengue fatalities has crossed the record of past 22 years. The country has launched a national awareness programme to help people understand and eradicate the breeding points of mosquitoes. All 64 districts of Bangladesh have reported dengue cases, the World Health Organization conformed recently. Hospitals are facing severe shortage of IV fluids, the BBC report added. A report by Dhaka Tribune quoting the Directorate General of Health Services officials said that 928 people have died of dengue this year. Overwhelming 800 patients were admitted in Dhaka, who later died during the treatment, the report said.
