Dhaka: Dengue infections are climbing rapidly in Bangladesh, with health officials reporting the biggest increase in deaths and hospital admissions this year.
The Health Service said on Sunday that twelve people died in the past 24 hours, while 740 new patients have been hospitalized with mosquito-borne disease.
Dengue has killed at least 179 people so far this year and infected nearly 42,000 people nationwide.
Children are increasingly crowded into hospital wards, and many arrive with high fever, rash and dehydration. Some serious complications developed.
Entomologists say changing weather patterns are deteriorating.
Entomologists say changing weather patterns is worsening outbreaks. Kabirul Bashar, a professor of zoology at Jahangirnagar University, said the monsoon stretches longer than usual, with standing water almost everywhere. “This long legal season is giving mosquitoes more time and space, which exacerbates the outbreak.”
Bangladesh’s rapid urbanization, insufficient waste management and stagnant water at construction sites have further expanded mosquito breeding sites.
As hospital tensions and infections steadily climb, doctors fear the crisis will deepen in the coming weeks.
Doctor ABM Abdullah said children are more susceptible to rapid fluid losses and shocks, which is extremely dangerous for them.
The worst year in Bangladesh was in 2023, when dengue killed 1.705 people and infected more than 321,000 people.
Experts worry that without stronger preventive measures, the deadly cycle will continue.
Posted at Dawn on September 22, 2025
