MOSCOW: Bangladesh is experiencing the worst outbreak of dengue in the country’s history, with more than 650 deaths reported since April, reported Sputnik, quoting Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Ghebreyesus (pix).
“Now to Bangladesh, which is experiencing its most severe outbreak of dengue on record. Since the outbreak began in April, more than 135 thousand cases and 650 deaths have been reported, including 300 deaths reported in August alone,“ Ghebreyesus said at a briefing on Wednesday.
He also noted that the outbreak was putting enormous pressure on Bangladesh’s health system, and that while the number of cases in the capital, Dhaka, had begun to decline, it was increasing in other parts of the country.
The WHO chief also said the agency had sent its experts to Bangladesh to support the authorities’ efforts to strengthen surveillance, increase laboratory capacity and expand communication with the affected population.
Dengue fever is a tropical disease caused by the dengue virus, which is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. The main vector of the disease is the Aedes aegypti mosquito. In the absence of a vector, infected humans do not pose an epidemiological threat. Data from the WHO show that most people can carry the disease without showing symptoms. Those who do have symptoms often experience high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash. The majority of patients recover in one to two weeks, but some people develop severe dengue, which includes shock or respiratory distress due to plasma leakage, severe bleeding or organ damage, which can lead to death. The mortality rate for severe cases of the disease is 2.5 per cent, rising to 20 per cent if adequate treatment is not provided. -Bernama
