DHAKA : The spread of the disease has accelerated in recent weeks, renewing concerns after Bangladesh’s worst dengue outbreak in 2023.

According to data from the Bangladeshi Ministry of Health, the number of deaths from dengue fever rose from one case at the end of May to 18 cases by the end of June, while the number of reported infections increased more than eightfold from 714 to 5,924 cases.

In 2023, more than 321,000 people were infected with the disease and 1,705 people died. Last year, Bangladesh recorded 102,861 cases of dengue fever and 413 deaths, after recording 101,214 infections and 575 deaths in 2024.

The threat of dengue fever comes as the country faces one of its worst measles outbreaks in decades. Since mid-March, more than 100,000 suspected cases and over 10,000 confirmed infections have been reported, with the death toll exceeding 700, further straining an already fragile healthcare system.

Kabir Albashar, professor of entomology at Jahangirnagar University, said that heavy rainfall, high temperatures and high humidity have created ideal conditions for the spread of dengue fever, while mosquito control efforts have not kept pace with this growing threat.

He urged the Bangladeshi government to establish a nationwide early warning system to help identify mosquito breeding grounds and growing hotspots, so that authorities can respond more quickly and warn the population before the disease spreads further.

For all the latest news from Oman and GCC, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.