Dengue hits young people hardest in Bangladesh

Young people are bearing the heaviest reported burden of dengue in Bangladesh this year. Those aged 16 to 30 accounted for around 42 percent of cases, making them the most affected age group.

The Directorate General of Health Services said 40,044 dengue patients had been hospitalised nationwide by Friday morning, while 111 people had died. The figures included 5,415 patients aged 16 to 20, 5,722 aged 21 to 25 and 5,716 aged 26 to 30.

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This age group is generally more mobile, which increases their chances of being exposed to dengue-transmitting mosquitoes.

By comparison, reported cases stood at 2,050 among children aged 0 to 5, 2,051 among those aged 6 to 10 and 2,566 among those aged 11 to 15. The totals for people aged 31 to 35, 36 to 40 and 41 to 45 were 3,930, 3,559 and 2,530 respectively.

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The young population may be relatively large. This could also be a reason for the higher number of cases.

Prof Kabirul Bashar of Jahangirnagar University’s Zoology Department said greater mobility could expose people aged 16 to 30 to dengue-transmitting mosquitoes more often. He cautioned, however, that the size of each age group also needed to be considered. Census data from 2022 indicate that people aged 16 to 29 make up about 26 percent of Bangladesh’s population.

GM Saifur Rahman, an entomologist at National University, called for a comprehensive mosquito-control programme alongside individual precautions. He said current anti-mosquito drives were inadequate and warned that intermittent rainfall was helping Aedes mosquitoes breed. Cases could rise over the next two months before declining as winter brings less rain. “The situation could deteriorate further unless the authorities take the necessary measures immediately,” he said.

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The situation could deteriorate further unless the authorities take the necessary measures immediately.