Via The Guardian: ‘Deadliest outbreak ever seen’: climate crisis fuels Bangladesh’s worst dengue epidemic. Excerpt:
In a small, dimly lit control room at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in Dhaka, data on Bangladesh’s dengue outbreak flashes across multiple computer screens. Government analysts here have been busy collecting and monitoring the impact of the disease across the country since cases were first reported last April.
In 2023, the total reported cases of dengue numbered 321,179, with 1,705 deaths recorded, a massive jump from the year before, when 62,000 people were known to have had the virus, and 281 died. It was the highest number of annual deaths caused by the mosquito-transmitted disease ever recorded in Bangladesh.
The deaths last year included at least 113 children. According to Save the Children, the majority of these deaths were of children under the age of 10, with 38 deaths among those under five.
“Children make up around 30% of all dengue cases in Bangladesh and are particularly vulnerable to the virus because of underdeveloped immune systems,” says Dr Shamim Jahan, Bangladesh director of Save the Children. “Those under five are particularly at risk from developing severe symptoms, such as dehydration and shock.”
Over the past few months, the surge in cases has pushed Bangladesh’s health system to the limit, with hospital corridors overflowing with patients as wards run out of beds.
“It’s been the deadliest outbreak of dengue the country has ever seen,” says Dr Mohammad Shafiul Alam, a scientist at the ICDDR,B health research centre in Dhaka.
The high death toll has continued into the new year. As of Wednesday, the outbreak had affected 756 people so far this month, resulting in 10 deaths, compared with 424 cases and three deaths this time last year.
However, the official figures may not give a true indication of the scale of the outbreak. “These reported figures are likely an underestimation of the actual burden,” says Alam. “Numerous healthcare facilities in Bangladesh operate beyond the reporting framework. This underscores the likelihood that the actual figures could be several times higher.”
