Officials declare health emergency as disease sweeps through major city: 'If we fail to act now, the situation could spiral'

A massive outbreak of a mosquito-borne virus in Bangladesh has health officials on edge as hospitals are nearing their limits.  

What's happening?

According to Reuters, cases of dengue fever are surging across Bangladesh. As of Oct. 6, there have been over 58,000 cases and 215 fatalities. 

This isn't quite as severe as the 2023 outbreak that killed over 1,700 residents. But experts are warning that, without action, the crisis could get out of hand.

Professor Kabirul Bashar, an entomologist at Jahangirnagar University, said to Reuters, "If we fail to act now, the situation could spiral." 

In addition to dengue, there has been a spike in cases of chikungunya. It's rarely fatal but can cause severe joint pain. Its name comes from the Makonde language and means "bent over in pain." 

Why is a dengue outbreak concerning?

Millions of people are infected with the dengue virus worldwide every year. It is usually asymptomatic, but it can be fatal, particularly in the elderly, the very young, and pregnant women. 

Additionally, those who have been infected carry a greater risk of a worse re-infection. Around half of the world's population is already at risk. As the planet warms, more areas will become exposed to outbreaks. 

Dirty energy's planet-heating emissions are causing the range of mosquitoes to expand and lengthening their breeding season. Even in more temperate regions like Europe, mosquito-borne diseases are becoming more common. 

What's being done to contain the outbreak?

Containing the virus will require a blend of local action and international engagement. Bangladesh has limited resources to act unilaterally. Fortunately, there may soon be some preventive care available to complement other control methods.

There are a couple of vaccines for dengue: Dengvaxia and Qdenga. The former is for children who are between the ages of 9 and 16 and have already had the virus. The latter is more effective and available to most people ages 4 and up.

Qdenga isn't effective against all strains of the virus and has not yet been approved for use in Bangladesh. Other vaccines are in development and show some promise.

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