The World Health Organisation has said that dengue is now endemic in Bangladesh and urged the government to take immediate efforts to tackle the situation.

Dengue is endemic in Bangladesh with recurrent outbreaks and is one of the major public health concerns in Bangladesh, said a WHO report on the country’s dengue situation published on Friday.

‘WHO promotes a strategic approach known as Integrated Vector Management to control mosquito vectors, including Aedes species, the vector of dengue. IVM should be enhanced to remove potential breeding sites, reduce vector populations, and minimise individual exposure,’ according to the WHO.

It said that this should involve vector control strategies for larvae and adults, including environmental management and source reduction, especially of water storage practices that include draining and cleaning household water storage containers on a weekly basis.

‘Personal protective measures during outdoor activities include the topical application of repellents to exposed skin or treatment of clothing, and the use of long sleeves shirts and pants. Additionally, in indoors protection can include the use of household insecticide aerosol products, or mosquito coils during the day,’ the WHO said.

Entomological surveillance should be undertaken to assess the breeding potential of Aedes mosquitoes in containers as well as to monitor insecticide resistance to help select most effective insecticide-based interventions, the report said, adding that insecticide resistance test kits produced by a WHO-coordinated facility in Universiti Sains Malaysia should be procured.

‘Dengue virus has the potential to cause epidemics resulting in high morbidity and mortality. All four serotypes of the dengue virus have been reported in Bangladesh with the predominance of DENV 1 and DENV2 until 2016.  Since 2019, when the largest dengue outbreak was reported, DENV3 has been the predominant serotype, while this year DENV2 has become the predominant serotype,’ according to the WHO report.

It also said that a dengue vaccine had not been approved in Bangladesh while the dengue risk at the national level was assessed as ‘high’ due to the rapidly increasing number of cases and deaths although the infection was yet to reach the peak.

‘DENV2 has been identified as the predominant circulating serotype, following four years of DENV3 predominating which may result in higher numbers of severe cases as a result of a second infection with a heterologous serotype,’ the report said, adding that there is some pressure on the healthcare capacity due to the very high number of admissions for dengue, high vector density and an anticipated prolonged monsoon.

The WHO has pointed out that Bangladesh has three international airports, three seaports and 23 land ports.

‘Bangladesh shares 94 per cent of its land border with India with frequent population movement across the land crossing. Dengue is already endemic in India, including the eastern Indian states which share land borders with Bangladesh and where Aedes mosquitoes breed and circulate,’ said the report, adding that climate change along with heavy rains in neighbouring countries increase the likelihood of vector-borne disease transmission.

Due to social and economic factors, many people migrate from Bangladesh to other countries thereby increasing the risk of international disease spread, said the report.

It said that Bangladesh received a large volume of international tourists, and the possibility of travellers acquiring the disease and contributing to its further spread outside the country could not be ruled out.