Dhaka: Bangladesh recorded 1,147 new dengue cases and five deaths in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health reported on Monday.
With 2,960 infections logged so far in November, the total number of dengue cases this year has reached 72,822, while the death toll stands at 288.
Once considered a monsoon-season illness, dengue fever is now spreading beyond its usual June–September period, according to Xinhua news agency.
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes dengue as a viral infection transmitted through the bites of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes — and, to a lesser extent, Aedes albopictus. The disease is common in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in urban and semi-urban areas.
While there is no specific treatment for dengue, early diagnosis, timely detection of warning signs, and proper case management can keep fatality rates below 1%.
Dengue was first detected in the 1960s in what was then East Pakistan, known locally as “Dacca fever.” Since 2010, outbreaks have typically coincided with the rainy season from May to September. Experts warn that Bangladesh’s changing climate — marked by rising temperatures, excessive rainfall, waterlogging, and floods — is making the country increasingly favorable for mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, and chikungunya.
Dengue remains endemic in Bangladesh, posing a persistent public health challenge. All four dengue virus serotypes have been detected in the country. While DENV-1 and DENV-2 dominated until 2016, DENV-3 became the most common strain after the 2019 outbreak. This year, however, DENV-2 has re-emerged as the predominant serotype.
