DHAKA: Bangladesh’s dengue outbreak is worsening, with four more deaths and 1,558 new hospital admissions reported in the past 24 hours as September brings a sharp rise in infections and puts hospitals under growing pressure.
Health Ministry data showed that 42,590 people have been hospitalized and 117 have died from dengue across Bangladesh this year. The latest 24-hour figures represent the highest number of daily dengue admissions recorded so far in recent months.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that can cause high fever, severe headaches and serious, sometimes life-threatening complications. The recent increase has raised concerns that the outbreak could become more severe in the coming weeks. Health experts are particularly worried about September after August recorded the highest monthly number of dengue cases so far this year.
Professor Kabirul Bashar, a medical entomologist at Jahangirnagar University, said his surveillance and forecasting model indicates that monthly hospital admissions could pass 30,000 in September if the current trend continues. Weather conditions could also allow dengue transmission to continue into October, he said.
“The peak has not been reached yet,” Bashar said. He warned that September could become the worst month of the year for dengue infections if cases continue to rise.
The growing number of patients is creating another major challenge: a shortage of hospital beds. Dengue patients can become seriously ill even after their fever starts to improve. Complications can include plasma leakage, low blood pressure, shock and severe bleeding.
Doctors are urging families to seek medical care quickly if patients develop warning signs such as stomach pain, dizziness or unusual weakness. The outbreak is also spreading beyond Dhaka. Dengue cases have been reported in all 64 districts, although Dhaka continues to record the largest share.
The government has stepped up cleanup and public awareness efforts. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for nationwide campaigns to remove stagnant water and other places where mosquitoes can breed. Kabirul Bashar said fogging alone will not stop the outbreak unless mosquito breeding sites are also removed. He called for stronger, evidence-based mosquito control measures across affected communities.
