2023 dengue outbreak in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh's ongoing 2023 dengue epidemic season, the country has been witnessing the deadliest outbreak of dengue fever ever since the first outbreak in Bangladesh in 2000. As of 31 December 2023, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has reported 321,179 hospitalizations and 1,705 deaths due to the Aedes mosquito-borne tropical disease in the 2023 outbreak year. Like previous years, the outbreak started in Summer (April–May), spread and surged nationwide in the monsoons (July–August). On 3 August, the number of deaths surpassed previous years; and on 21 August, the tally of hospitalization surpassed the previous highest record of the 2019 outbreak. Dhaka is the worst-hit area and the epicentre of the outbreak, with more than half of the cases being reported in the megacity. On 25 July, hospitalizations were reported in all districts; and the tally of hospitalizations outside Dhaka city surpassed the figure of the capital on 14 August.
| 2023 dengue outbreak in Bangladesh | |
|---|---|
Dengue hospitalizations by district and Dhaka metropolis, as of 17 September 2023 | |
| Disease | Dengue fever |
| Date | 2023 (Outbreak season: April 2023–ongoing) |
| Active cases | 725 |
| Suspected cases‡ | ~750,000 |
| Hospitalized cases | 321,179 |
| Recovered | 318,749 |
Deaths | 1,705 |
| Fatality rate | 0.53% |
| Government website | |
| DGHS dengue status reports | |
| ‡Suspected cases have not been confirmed by laboratory tests as being due to this strain, although some other strains may have been ruled out. | |
In June 2023, the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) reported that people are getting affected with the DENV-2 and DENV-3 variants this season, the two with the highest rates of infections and death. In 2022 and 2021, DENV-4 and DENV-3 were found for the first time, respectively. Although a patient does develop immunity to a certain variant after being infected with it, cross-infection with different variants raises the chance of complications and mortality. Secondary infections show changed symptoms, thus delayed hospitalizations are causing more deaths. It's notable that the death rate has more or less increased in Bangladesh in past years. With more severe cases being referred to the capital, Dhaka's hospitals struggle to control the situation.