2019 Dengue Outbreak In Bangladesh

The 2019 dengue outbreak in Bangladesh is a nationwide occurrence of dengue

fever in Bangladesh that began primarily on April 2019 and slowed down at the 4th
quarter of that year resulting in a record breaking outcome.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue

virus(DENV). A virus mostly carried by the Aedes aegypti female mosquitoes. Side
effects commonly start three to fourteen days after infection. These may incorporate a
high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin
rash. Recovery for the most part takes two to seven days. In a small proportion of
cases, the disease develops into severe dengue, additionally known as dengue
hemorrhagic fever, coming about in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood
plasma leakage, or into dengue shock syndrome, where dangerously low blood
pressure occurs.

Dengue vaccine is a vaccine used to prevent dengue fever in humans. As of 2019, one

version is commercially available, known as CYD-TDV, and sold under the brand
name Dengvaxia. Dengvaxia is a weakened but live vaccine and works by triggering
an immune response against four types of dengue virus.

Dengue fever was first observed in Bangladesh in 2000(DENV-3), asserted 93 deaths

in that year. Following 3 years the deaths have step by step diminished to right around
zero. Anyway it struck again in 2018, killed 26 and affected 10,148 people. The
previous highest of affected people prior to 2018 was 6,232 in 2002.

The Communicable Disease Control (CDC) unit of Directorate General of Health

Services(DGHS) warned about the outbreak on March 2019. In January they carried
out a survey in Dhaka city where they found both larva and adult Aedes mosquitoes in
different parts of the city. Based on outcome of the survey, they alerted both city
corporations about the possibility of an outbreak in upcoming months. As said by the
CDC director Dr. Sanya Tahmina, they also started training the doctors and nurses
from February considering the possibility of a future outbreak.

According to DGHS, 14 people have died and 19,513 people had been affected as of 1
August 2019, majority of whom are children. Although other sources were reporting
the death toll has already passed 50. On 1 August 2019, DGHS confirmed the
outbreak affecting all districts of the country. Additionally, it reported 1,712 newly
infected patients in the preceding 24 hours which is also the largest number of
infected people on record in a single day at that time. According to official source,
roughly 71 more people were in threat of being infected in dengue fever every
hour. Dhaka was the worst-hit city in the country and the districts in Dhaka
Division were among the most affected regions. Judging the situations, Bangladesh
Governments withdrew all tariffs on dengue test kits imports on the same month.

The high death toll continued till November,2019. Reviewing 276 deaths, Institute of
Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research(IECDR) confirmed 179 dengue deaths.
While July had only 16,253 cases, in August alone,52,636 people were hospitalized
for dengue, which is the highest for a month in the country’s history. The monthly
hospitalizations for dengue came down to 16,856 dengue in September and 8,143 in
Image 1: 2019 Dengue outbreak in Bangladesh

October, 4,011 in November and 1,247 in December. Even these numbers are the
highest for the respective months of a year.

The total count of hospitalization is 1,01,354which is the highest yearly record till
now.

Here is a list of the major hospitals patients went to admit-

Image-2: Dengue patient count regarding in general

Image-3: Non-govt. hospitals Dengue patient count

The deaths included 2 in April, 6 in June, 35 in July, 83 in August, 25 in September,

11 in October and 2 in November that to 164(Image-1). 15 more deaths were assured
for dengue later this year,2020 which has not been included methodically to the
statistics yet.
Dengue is still a problem not only in Bangladesh but also the whole world. Dengvaxia
is not a concrete solution yet and also not affordable for poorer countries. So public
awareness is the better option at hand now to avoid such dangerous crisis in future. To
keep our surroundings clean and hygienic would be the proper natural solution against
mosquito overgrowth and prevent dengue from further influences.