Health authorities, about 400 people last month alone… Deaths are rapidly increasing
Scientists: “Climate change will increase the number of mosquitoes, spreading infections”
WHO official: “More countries are in serious situation”
The number of deaths due to dengue fever in Bangladesh has increased approximately four times compared to last year, and the spread continues.
According to CNN on the 3rd (local time), the Bangladesh Health Administration announced that since January, 1,017 people, including more than 100 children, have died from dengue fever and more than 208,000 people have been infected.
The number of deaths this year is approximately four times higher than last year’s number of 281 deaths. More than 79,600 cases of infection were reported in September alone, and 396 people died.
◆Increasing number of patients starting in April… National healthcare system reaching its limits
Dengue fever, a viral infection, is accompanied by flu-like symptoms such as headache, muscle pain, joint pain, and fever. In severe cases, it can lead to internal bleeding and death. Dengue fever is transmitted when a mosquito infected with the dengue virus bites a person, and there is no specific treatment for this disease.
In Bangladesh, the infection rate of dengue fever is generally highest during the rainy season, from July to September, but this year, the number of patients began to increase steadily from the end of April. In the past, dengue fever occurred mainly in densely populated urban areas with more than 20 million people, such as the capital Dhaka, but this year, the infection spread rapidly to all regions of the country, including rural areas, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
Local media reported that the national medical system is reaching its limits due to the continued influx of patients, and hospitals are facing a shortage of beds and staff to care for patients. Concerns are growing because the number of dengue fever cases last year peaked in October and most deaths were recorded in November.
◆Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and Peru are also in serious trouble.
This year, dengue fever has struck not only Bangladesh but countries on several continents. In Asia, the number of patients has surged, especially in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia. Peru in South America also recorded the worst dengue infection rate in history, with over 250 people dying this year. In the United States, when dengue fever broke out in Florida, authorities placed alerts in several autonomous states.
Scientists said that higher temperatures and irregular heavy rains have lengthened the rainy season, creating optimal conditions for the breeding of Edes mosquitoes, which transmit dengue fever.
As the climate crisis deepens, mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever are likely to spread further, which will have a greater impact on human health, CNN reported.
According to WHO, the number of dengue fever infections has increased eight-fold over the past 20 years.
Abdi Mahamoud, WHO’s head of warning and response, said this was “the ‘canary in the coal mine’ of the climate crisis” and added, “More and more countries are in dire straits from this disease.” He said.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.