Dengue death toll in Bangladesh crosses 400 as outbreak worsens

Bangladesh faces worst dengue outbreak in years, with over 400 deaths due to climate change-driven surge in infections.

Bangladesh is battling its worst outbreak of dengue in years, with more than 400 deaths as rising temperatures and a longer monsoon season drive a surge in infections, leaving hospitals struggling to cope, particularly in urban areas.

At least 407 people have died from related complications in 2024, with 78,595 patients admitted to hospitals nationwide, the latest official figures show.

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By mid-November, 4,173 patients were being treated, with 1,835 of them in Dhaka, the capital, and 2,338 elsewhere.

"We’re witnessing monsoon-like rainfall even in October, which is unusual," said Kabirul Bashar, a zoology professor at Jahangirnagar University.

Shifting weather patterns caused by climate change provided optimal conditions for the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary carrier of the disease, he added.

"These changes in the season are fostering ideal conditions for the mosquitoes to breed."