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🇮🇱 Israel /Health & Science

Bangladesh Dengue Surge Strains Hospitals as Cases Pass 42,000

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Ongoing story
  • Bangladesh has recorded 42,590 dengue hospitalizations and 117 deaths this year, with a sharp September surge putting hospitals under greater strain.
  • Health ministry data showed four deaths and 1,558 hospital admissions in the previous 24 hours, the highest daily tally of the year.
  • Experts warned that September could become the worst month of the year, while hospitals face shortages of available beds and the wider health system also manages a measles outbreak.

Bangladesh’s dengue outbreak is accelerating, with hospital admissions rising sharply in September and available beds becoming harder to find. Health ministry data recorded four deaths and 1,558 hospitalizations in the past 24 hours, the highest daily admission total so far this year.

The country has recorded 42,590 dengue hospitalizations and 117 deaths this year. The mosquito-borne disease can cause fever, severe headaches and potentially fatal complications. Its rapid spread has revived concerns after Bangladesh’s deadliest dengue outbreak in 2023.

The peak has not been reached yet

· Kabirul BasharThe medical entomologist warned that dengue infections could continue worsening in September.

The pressure comes as the healthcare system also deals with a nationwide measles outbreak that has killed nearly 1,000 children this year. Health experts warned that September could prove worse than August, which had the highest monthly dengue caseload of the year.

If the current trajectory continues, September may become the worst month of the year for dengue infections.

· Kabirul BasharBashar described the outlook based on his surveillance and forecasting model.

Kabirul Bashar, a medical entomology professor at Jahangirnagar University, said his surveillance and forecasting model indicated that hospitalizations could exceed 30,000 this month if current trends continued. He said weather conditions could support transmission into October.

“The peak has not been reached yet,” Bashar said. “If the current trajectory continues, September may become the worst month of the year for dengue infections.”

I was terrified. As a father, it was unbearable to watch my child getting worse without knowing where he could be admitted.

· Zahid HasanHasan described trying to find a hospital bed for his four-year-old son.

For Zahid Hasan, the outbreak became a personal crisis when his four-year-old son developed a high fever and was diagnosed with dengue. Hasan took the child to three government hospitals but could not find an available bed. He eventually obtained a place at a private hospital, where his son received seven bags of blood and plasma before discharge. The child remains weak and is recovering slowly.

Those days were a nightmare for us. We were constantly afraid something could happen to him.

· Zahid HasanHasan spoke about his son’s treatment and recovery after he secured a private hospital bed.
About this summary

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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