OVERVIEW

Total official hospitalizations in Bangladesh were 2,573 since January, 2023 according to a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services.

Of the total hospitalization this year, 1,870 were reported in Dhaka city and 703 in other places outside the Dhaka city. The mosquito-borne viral disease killed 17 people so far this year, of which 14 were reported in the Dhaka city.

A World Bank (WB) study report released last year found a wider link between the shifting climatic conditions and the increase in dengue and some other diseases in Bangladesh.

It says with falling humidity levels, rising temperatures, and increasing rainfall caused by climate change, the risk of dengue spread can be higher in the country, mainly in Dhaka and Chattogram cities, in the future.

DGHS officials and health experts termed this year’s dengue hospitalization unusual and feared a bigger dengue outbreak compared with the past years.

PubMed Central: Published on April, 2023

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

Dengue fever is an infectious disease spread by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito and is caused by one of four antigenic ally different serotypes of the dengue virus (DENV 1‐4).  It can be found in both urban and semi‐urban settings across the tropics and sub‐tropics, and more than half of the world’s population are in danger of dengue fever. 

Dengue can cause anything from a slight fever to the life‐threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) or dengue shock syndrome (DSS), characterized by a decrease in platelets, white blood cells, and an increase in vascular permeability.

Because of its proximity to the equator and its subtropical/tropical climate, Bangladesh, like other Southeast Asian (SE) countries, has become an ideal environment for the dengue vector and the subsequent increase in dengue transmission. 

In Asia, children under the age of 15 who are infected with DENV are at a higher risk of getting the severe disease than adults. 

According to several studies, it is believed that dengue patients who have recovered from infection with one serotype can develop life-long immunity against that particular serotype, but upon exposure to other DENV serotypes, reinfection may occur.

Co-circulation of multiple DENV serotypes enhances the risk of secondary infection with heterologous serotypes, which may increase the risk of developing severe dengue.

Indicators of dengue fever are similar to those of the common cold and influenza; that is why people get confused with the treatment of dengue.

It can damage the liver by increasing the liver enzymes. Evidence suggests that severe dengue patients experience systolic and diastolic cardiac impairment due to damage to the septum and right ventricular wall.  

Studies suggest that dengue fever adversely affects the kidney, eyes, blood, brain, pancreas, and endothelial cells.

A distinctive feature of dengue is that the likelihood of a severe and potentially fatal disease increases with each subsequent infection with a new serotype.

MONTHS OF WHICH HIGHEST INCIDENCE OF DENGUE CASES FOUND

According to the data, dengue incidence rises faster in early July and ends in December. Previous research has shown that August and September account for the vast majority (over 90%) of dengue fever cases. 

Moreover, the months of August, September, and October are the most vulnerable to a dengue outbreak in Bangladesh

Nonetheless, the frequency of dengue fever cases in November 2022 suggests that this month is also a high‐risk month for the disease.

NUMBER OF DENGUE CASES AND FATALITY

Following COVID‐19, it blossoms, and dengue is already the leading cause of death in Bangladesh. Since 2008, a total of 220,572 cases of dengue fever have been documented in Bangladesh; with new cases being reported every day, this disease poses a serious risk to the country.  Dengue fever was identified in 46,846 people in 2022; of those, 192 victims died from the illness due to its severity.

From 2000 to the present, dengue has claimed the lives of 788 people, 492 of whom—more than 62.44%—died from 2019 to 2022. This statistic highlights how devastating the condition is. Moreover, Dhaka city is the most susceptible region for dengue in terms of prevalence and fatality. 

CONCLUSION

Managing dengue outbreaks in tropical countries, including Bangladesh, where temperatures remain favorable for mosquito breeding and viral replication throughout the year is a big challenge.

Controlling the mosquitoes early might be more efficient in limiting the dengue outbreaks in Bangladesh. While vector control methods are supposed to reduce the dengue burden, conclusive evidence is lacking for the effectiveness of any dengue vector control method, requiring further investigations to evaluate and compare methods to optimize cost-effective dengue prevention.

Increasing community awareness is also important, which can be done through local visits by community healthcare workers, radio broadcasts with public/religious leaders and healthcare professionals to encourage the use of preventive methods, and TV as well as social media, particularly in urban areas.

To date, adulticide application is considered as the most effective dengue vector control method; however, the efficacy of adulticides should be routinely confirmed, as resistance may develop.

It is also important to identify the etiology and predominant serotype of an outbreak, describe the clinical presentation, and identify the factors associated with dengue.

Although an efficient vector control strategy can limit the spread of a dengue outbreak, development of a universal dengue vaccine that is equally protective against all serotypes should be the focus of dengue prevention moving forward.

Moreover, illness awareness in a population and health‐related behavior are essential in disease prevention.  However, due to a lack of awareness, the people of Bangladesh are unaware of this potentially fatal illness. 

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