The aedes mosquito population may increase to an alarming level during the monsoon if the authorities do not take pragmatic steps immediately to control the dengue situation across the country, said entomologists.
They said that all elements, including the virus, the vector and a 鈥榝acilitating鈥� temperature, are present now, which are likely to worsen the dengue situation with the start of rain.
Entomology professor at the National Institute of Preventive and social Medicine, Golam Sarwar, observed that the beginning of 2025 was bad in terms of dengue fever as almost every day new dengue patients were detected over the months since January.
鈥楾hough the mortality rate is not alarming, hospitalisation and mosquito presence are alarming,鈥� he said, adding that the situation over the rest of the year would depend on the performance of agencies concerned.
He said that though there was no significant rain over the past months since January, the number of patients is still high.
鈥榃hen rain will start, the situation might go out of control,鈥� he predicted.
Golam Sarwar said that if the agencies can kill the larvae before hatching that can give a good result. But if the mosquitoes start flying, the situation would worsen not only in Dhaka but also in other districts.
Amid this situation, the Directorate General of Health Services listed at least 52 people who were hospitalised with dengue in the 24 hours till Sunday 8:00pm, a day after one patient died of the disease.
Including the latest fatality, the death toll from the disease rose to 14 and the total cases came to be 1,954 since January this year.
In 2024, dengue claimed 22 lives and 1,747 others were hospitalised during the corresponding period.
Among the deaths so far this year, 10 were reported in January, three in February and one in April while none was reported in March.
In 2024, 14 people died of dengue in January, three in February and five in March while none died in April.
Currently, 91 dengue patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals across the country.
Jahangirnagar University zoology professor and vector management expert Kabirul Bashar said that according to his personal surveillance, 99 per cent of the mosquitoes existing in the environment are culex right now
However, the alarming issue is that the density of aedes mosquito in the environment is increasing while dengue virus is active.
鈥業f we cannot control the aedes mosquito population hike, the situation will break record,鈥� he said.
A dengue outbreak was first officially reported in the country in 2000 when 93 people died and 5,551 patients were hospitalised, according to DGHS data.
Last year, the country witnessed a severe dengue outbreak that resulted in 575 deaths and 1,01,214 reported cases. A total of 1,00,040 patients recovered during the period.
Kabirul Bashar said that this year the situation might be worse than the last year if the authority fails to contain the mosquito population.
DSCC administrator Md Shahjahan Mia said that they were working to control mosquitoes as per a strict routine and using a highly efficient insecticide.
鈥榃e are regularly spraying the insecticide to kill mosquito larvae and fogging to kill adult mosquitoes. We are also cleaning suspected breeding spots,鈥� he said.
According to the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research鈥檚 virus surveillance report in 2024, out of four dengue virus serotypes, three -- DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-3 -- had prevailed in the country.
Experts believe that this year the variants might prevail.
However, the IEDCR does not have any updated study over the issue.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department forecasted more early rain during this month before the monsoon.
DGHS line director for the communicable disease control unit Md Halimur Rashid said that they will carry out a pre-monsoon survey of the presence of aedes mosquito, the carrier of dengue virus, in the nature.
He said that DGHS is responsible for vector surveys and treatment while the local government agencies are responsible for controlling mosquitoes.
Officials said that the DGHS asked the IEDCR for the vector survey. However, nobody can confirm the progress.
An official on condition of anonymity said that they could not start the survey for lack of funding.
However, IEDCR director Professor Tahmina Shirin said that the survey is in progress.
But asked about if there is any primary finding, she refused to share any information regarding it.
Entomologists said dengue situation is turning worse not only in Dhaka but also in districts like Cox鈥檚 bazar, Barguna, Barishal, Mymensingh and Chandpur, among others.
They said that dengue might be the worst in villages because there was no management system.
Entomologists said that 20C to 33C temperature is suitable for aedes breeding. If the temperature goes above the upper level mosquitoes might face trouble breeding.
Dengue killed 1,705 people and sent 3,21,179 others to hospitals in 2023 alone against 853 deaths and 2,44,246 hospitalisation between 2000 and 2022, the DGHS data show.
