There seems to be no immediate respite from the worsening dengue situation in the country despite the government efforts to tame the mosquito-borne disease. The authorities concerned are conducting drives to destroy the breeding grounds for Aedes mosquito responsible for dengue, but they cannot prevent the spread of the viral disease. According to experts, surge in dengue cases and fatalities result from the use of substandard larvicide to kill Aedes mosquito.
The country is witnessing alarming rise in dengue cases every day, raising grave concern among the people. Six more people died of dengue and a total of 1,195 new cases were detected in the last 24 hours till Sunday, according to sources at Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS. Of the six deaths, two died in areas under Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), two in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and two in Barishal district.
Since the start of the dengue onslaught, the country has so far witnessed 313 deaths and 78,543 cases this year. Last year, 575 people died of dengue and 1,01,214 got infected with the disease across the country.
Experts have raised question about the efficacy of the ongoing anti-mosquito drive. They say spread of dengue infections cannot be checked as the authorities are using low-quality larvicide to destroy the breeding ground for Aedes mosquito.
Exploiting the situation, a section of businessmen has increased the mosquito repellents such as mosquito coil to make a quick buck. People, particularly from low-income group, who are already hit hard by souring prices of daily commodities, have to buy mosquito repellents at high cost.
Climate is one of the major factors known to influence the generation of mosquitoes and the transmission of the dengue virus. A study conducted in Dhaka city, Bangladesh, found a substantial correlation between monthly reported dengue cases and meteorological parameters, such as rainfall, maximum temperature, and relative humidity. These findings suggest that climate change has a major effect on the occurrence of dengue in cities. Numerous studies have identified the significance of climatic factors in dengue transmission. Temperature plays a crucial role in the rapid replication of dengue virus within the mosquito vector, whereas humidity increases vector survival and transmission potential. High temperatures can shorten the extrinsic incubation period of viruses in mosquitoes, leading to more frequent transmission cycles. Precipitation also affects mosquito egg availability and larval breeding sites, as stagnant water from heavy rain provides ideal conditions for mosquito breeding.
We hope, the government will give utmost priority to preventing the spread of dengue to save lives of people from the viral disease. To this effect, the ongoing anti-mosquito drives must be strengthened across the country. We should keep it in mind that dengue has emerged as a major public health challenge in Bangladesh and so, all necessary measures should be taken to combat the disease.
