At least one in every six dengue death victims this year in Bangladesh is a child, while children account for nearly one-fifth of the total hospitalisations with the mosquito-borne viral fever, according to official data.
According to data from the Directorate General of Health Services as of Thursday, 31 children 鈥� including 16 girls 鈥� have so far died of dengue since January, while 8,469 others were admitted to hospitals with the disease.
Among the dead, at least 10 were below five, three between six and 10, and 18 were between 11 and 15.
According to its daily update, the DGHS in the 24 hours till 8:00am Thursday reported the death of a 35-year-old man, alongside 632 fresh hospitalisations.
With this death, the official dengue fatalities have climbed to 188, while hospitalisations hit 44,473 cases since January.
According to Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute director Professor Md Mahbubul Hoque, children are more exposed to dengue than adults due to their mobility, outdoor activities, and lack of awareness.
鈥楿nder-one children are particularly vulnerable to fatal outcome. Parents must seek hospital care immediately after symptoms appear,鈥� he said, adding that children were often found to be dehydrated, which increases the risk of dengue shock syndrome.
He revealed that four to five children were being admitted daily to the specialised hospital in the capital鈥檚 Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with dengue symptoms.
September has already turned deadlier for dengue than the previous months, with at least 66 deaths and 12,997 hospital admissions recorded in the first 25 days alone.
Experts fear that the situation may worsen further as rain and favourable temperatures are creating ideal conditions for the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes 鈥� the primary vector of the virus.
鈥楻ight now, we are witnessing intermittent rainfalls combined with moderate temperatures. This is the most suitable condition for mosquito population聽 growth,鈥� said epidemiologist and former director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research AM Zakir Hussain.
He pointed out that the country鈥檚 average temperature of around 27掳C, coupled with fresh rainwater stagnations, was helping Aedes mosquitoes hatch in large numbers and survive longer.
The health services past week directed hospitals to form special medical boards, headed by specialists, for dengue treatment and prioritise ICU support for critical patients.
Hospitals were asked to ensure urgent NS1 testing for suspected patients, maintain round-the-clock diagnostic and treatment facilities, and coordinate with the Central Medical Stores Depot and Communicable Disease Control unit for supplies.
Instructions were also issued to keep all admitted dengue patients in designated wards or areas.
Monthly DGHS data show that dengue hospitalisations surged dramatically from May, with 1,773 admissions that month, followed by 5,951 in June, 10,684 in July, and 10,496 in August.
Deaths during the same period also rose sharply 鈥� 19 in June, 41 in July, and 39 in August.
Dengue has emerged as a major public health concern in Bangladesh since the first official outbreak in 2000, when 93 people died and 5,551 were hospitalised.
In 2023, the country saw its gravest dengue outbreak to date, with 1,705 deaths聽 鈥� more deaths than in all the years between 2000 and 2022 combined聽 鈥� and 3,21,179 hospitalisations.
Another severe outbreak followed in 2024, leaving 575 people dead and more than one lakh hospitalised.
Public health experts warned that unless sustained mosquito control measures were enforced and awareness campaigns adequately strengthened, Bangladesh risks facing worsening dengue outbreaks each year, disproportionately affecting children.