It was another grim day for Bangladesh’s dengue outbreak, as health officials reported three more deaths and 408 new infections in just 24 hours.
This latest update, confirmed on Thursday, pushes the total death toll for 2025 to 95. The number of people infected this year has now climbed past 23,220, with the newest fatalities all occurring in the Dhaka area.
Right now, 1,326 patients are hospitalized across the country.
The spread isn’t confined to Dhaka. Fresh cases were logged in nearly every region. Here’s the breakdown:
- 73 in Barisal Division
- 58 in Chittagong Division
- 59 in Dhaka Division (excluding city corporations)
- 37 in Dhaka North City Corporation
- 57 in Dhaka South City Corporation
- 37 in Khulna Division
- 25 in Mymensingh
- 52 in Rajshahi
- 3 in Sylhet
- 7 in Rangpur
Last year, the disease claimed 575 lives. This year’s numbers are lower so far, but we’re only halfway through August.
But health officials have been relatively tight-lipped about whether they anticipate that trend will continue to gain momentum. However, if last year is any guide, it may get worse before it gets better.
Aedes mosquitoes, which are responsible for spreading the seasonal disease, become more prevalent in the months of monsoon. Outbreaks are often more focused in urban areas particularly where water can collect, be it on construction sites, open drains or even in household containers.
If you are in one of those regions perhaps you are checking for standing water more frequently or sleeping under mosquito nets. Despite the public awareness campaigns that are ongoing, the virus still has plenty of territory to cover — as far as the numbers are concerned.
However, the slower rate of death this year does offer some hope. How long it remains that way depends largely on the habits of those who live there, on the sanitation systems operated by the city and, at least in part, on the rains.
