Over 1,000 lives lost as Bangladesh suffers Dengue fever

Bangladesh hospital, Bangladesh country flag

 In the worst dengue fever outbreak ever seen in Bangladesh, over 1,000 people have died there since the year’s beginning, according to official statistics.   

Over 200,000 confirmed cases and 1,006 fatalities were reported in figures released by the country’s Directorate General of Health Services on Sunday night.   Be-Nazir Ahmed, a former director of the organization, told AFP that since Bangladesh experienced its first dengue outbreak in 2000, the number of deaths this year has surpassed all previous years combined.  It’s a significant public health issue for Bangladesh and the entire world, he continued.    

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated last month that the outbreak in Bangladesh was “putting huge pressure on the health system.”.   High fevers, headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, and, in the most severe cases, bleeding that can result in death are all symptoms of the dengue disease, which is endemic to tropical regions.   

The WHO has issued a warning that climate change is hastening the spread of dengue and other illnesses brought on by mosquitoes, including chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika.