Bangladesh is facing the worst dengue outbreak yet, and more than 1,000 people have been killed due to the disease this year, according to official data. Rising temperatures due to climate change are pushing the spread and more cases are being reported away from the densely populated urban areas for the first time.
Of the 1,017 people who have died of the disease since January, about 100 have been children. According to the Bangladesh Directorate General of Health Services, the cases of the mosquito-borne disease are rising over 208,000.
Symptoms of the disease, which is endemic in the country, are high fevers, headaches, nausea, vomiting and muscle pain. In the most serious cases, bleeding, that can lead to death. Diseases caused by other mosquito-borne viruses like yellow fever, Zika, chikungunya are spreading faster due to climate change, the World Health Organisation had warned.
The former director of Bangladesh Directorate General of Health Services Be-Nazir Ahmed told AFP that the number of deaths so far this year was higher than every previous year combined since 2000. "It's a massive health event, both in Bangladesh and in the world," he added.
Irregular rainfall and hotter temperatures during the monsoon season have created ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Most cases are recorded between July and September, peak monsoon season. Reportedly, hospitals in Bangladesh have been admitting patients suffering from the disease during winter months.