Worse dengue outbreak likely in Dhaka this year, fears expert

Amid the coronavirus scare following the detection of five cases, another dangerous disease, dengue, that devastated the city dwellers last year is lurking with the gradual rise in its infection rate during the pre-monsoon period, say experts.

They also warned that the capital city may witness even a worse outbreak of aedes mosquito-borne dengue disease this year than the last season as the presence of such virus carrying blood-sucking insects is very high in the early days of spring.

Two recent surveys -- one by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and another by a team of researchers from Jahangirnagar University -- found aedes mosquito larvae at an alarming level at different wards of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).

The Breteau Index of aedes mosquito was 20-30 points at many wards of the two city corporations, which is very alarming, they said.

On 8 March, the first three cases of coronavirus were detected in the country while two more patients were found on 14 March. Since then many people have been quarantined, especially those recently returned home from abroad including 142 from Italy.

Bangladesh experienced a massive dengue outbreak last year. The government confirmed that dengue had claimed the lives of 164 people last year while 101,354 were hospitalised with the disease in the country.

According to the DGHS, at least 262 dengue cases were reported in the country since the beginning of this year including two in the last 24 hours until 8:00am on Saturday.

who led a research during a survey on aedes mosquito prevalence in the two cities, said 56 people were infected with dengue in January and February last year while 139 dengue patients were identified during the same period this year, indicating the greater density of aedes mosquito in the capital.

He said as light rain has started occurring from early this month, the scientific prediction model suggests the number of dengue patients will increase substantially this year than the last year if proper steps are not taken right now.

The entomologist said the two city corporations must destroy the aedes mosquito breeding grounds by this month to reduce the density of the dengue carrying mosquito population.

“The rainy season will begin in full swing from June and the dengue is likely to outbreak badly at this time if the density of the aedes mosquitos cannot be reduced and the breeding grounds cannot be destroyed,” he observed.

The JU professor said constructions sites, bus terminals, police stations where many seized vehicles are kept at open spaces, the front and backyards of different hospitals and different government establishments are the main breeding grounds of aedes mosquito.

Kabirul said the two city corporations need to become active now to kill mosquitos though there was no visible drive in this regard over the last three months.

He said the ward councillors should play an effective role in creating awareness among people and identifying and destroying the breeding sources of the mosquitos.

The city authorities should take a crash programme to spray insecticide in a scientific way to kill mosquitos and destroy their breeding grounds immediately, he added.

About the findings of their survey conducted earlier, Kabirul said the mosquito Breteau index in some areas of the two city corporation was over 25 per cent and 200 aedes mosquito larvae found in 500ml of water which indicates huge density of the aedes mosquito in the city.

In their recent survey, Abul Kalam Azad, the DGHS director general, said they found the aedes population is at a risky level in 12 per cent wards of Dhaka South City Corporation and 10 per cent wards of Dhaka North City Corporation.

He said aedes Breteau Index in DNCC’s wards No. 12, 16, 28, 31 and 1 and DSCC’s wards No. 5, 6, 11, 17, 37 and 42 are more than 20 points. In DNCC’s ward 12, this index was around 30.

Assessing the survey results, the DG said dengue may badly spread this year if the breeding grounds of aedes mosquito cannot be destroyed right now.

He said city dwellers must be aware to keep their houses and adjacent areas clean so that water cannot remain stagnant there to prevent the dengue.

DNCC chief health officer brigadier general Md. Mominur Rahman Mamun said they are conducting mosquito killing and awareness raising activities in the vulnerable areas.

He further said they have been working since January to control the outbreak of aedes mosquito during the rainy season with various programmes.

Mominur Rahman Mamun said they have been taking special programmes to destroy the sources of aedes mosquito in the five DNCC wards, the DGHS survey identified as most vulnerable areas.

The DNCC chief health officer also said the city dwellers’ cooperation is needed to get rid of the curse of aedes mosquito.

He urged people to clean up their homes, buildings and adjacent areas. “Don’t throw wastes everywhere and don’t allow water to be stored anywhere. Do not place discarded green coconuts shells, open, bottles, plastic pots, broken utensils and abandoned flower tubs here and there.”

Mamun said cleanliness is very important to prevent mosquito-borne and other viral diseases.

DSCC chief health officer brigadier general Sharif Ahmed said they took a special crash programme on 26 February to destroy the sources of aedes mosquito while its wards No. 5, 6, 11, 17, 37 and 42 were declared as vulnerable ones.