By Ruma Paul

DHAKA (Reuters) – Bangladesh is battling its worst outbreak of dengue in years, with more than 400 deaths as rising temperatures and a longer monsoon season drive a surge in infections, leaving hospitals struggling to cope, particularly in urban areas.

FILE PHOTO: Mosquitoes are seen on top of the logged water at the Suhrawardy Udyan park, as number of dengue infected patients increase, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 14, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain/File Photo
© Thomson Reuters

At least 407 people have died from related complications in 2024, with 78,595 patients admitted to hospital nationwide, the latest official figures show.

By mid-November, 4,173 patients were being treated, with 1,835 of them in Dhaka, the capital, and 2,338 elsewhere.

“We’re witnessing monsoon-like rainfall even in October, which is unusual,” said Kabirul Bashar, a zoology professor at Jahangirnagar University.

Shifting weather patterns caused by climate change provided optimal conditions for the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary carrier of the disease, he added.

“These changes in the season are fostering ideal conditions for the mosquitoes to breed.”

Dense populations in cities exacerbate the spread of the disease, usually more common in the monsoon season from June to September though it has spilled beyond that window this year.

A rise in temperatures and longer monsoons, both linked to climate change, have caused a spike in mosquito breeding, driving the rapid spread of the virus.

Bashar called for year-round vector surveillance in Bangladesh to monitor and rein in the disease.

If detected early and treated properly, deaths from dengue can be reduced to less than 1%, said a renowned physician, Dr ABM Abdullah, adding, “Early diagnosis and prevention are key to controlling dengue.”

Last year was the deadliest on record in the current crisis, with 1,705 deaths and more than 321,000 infections reported.

The growing frequency and severity of outbreaks strains Bangladesh’s already overwhelmed healthcare system, as hospitals battle to treat thousands of patients.

Health officials have urged precautions against mosquito bites, such as mosquito repellents and bed nets, while experts want tougher measures to eliminate the stagnant waters where mosquitoes breed.

Delays in seeking treatment, particularly among rural populations who must travel long distances to specialised facilities in Dhaka, are swelling the toll, doctors said.

The disease can often show only mild initial symptoms that go undiagnosed until patients are critical.

42-year-old Alice Loksha was abducted while working at a UNICEF office  in  Kala Balge, Borno State.

Speaking with newsmen in Maiduguri, the state capital, on Friday, Nov. 15, deputy, Maj. Gen. Kenneth Chigbu, who was representing the Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, North-East, Major General Wahdi Shuaibu, also announced the escape of another abducted woman, Fayina Ali, who was captured by Boko Haram insurgents in 2020 while travelling from Kaduna to process her late brother’s d£@th benefits.

According to him, both abductees were forced into marriage with the insurgents while in captivity.

“She was forced to marry Abu Umar, with whom she had a son, Mohammed.

“After Abu Umar’s death, she was forced into another marriage to ISWAP Commander Abu Simak. She later escaped from Dogon Chuku camp on October 24, 2024, and arrived at HQ TC on October 29, 2024, where she received medical attention.

“Fayina was initially held at Kangaruwa enclave for nine months, then transferred to Tumbunma for three years, and returned to Kangaruwa for another year before escaping,” he said.

He added, “Both women have undergone traumatic experiences and have shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity.”
Receiving the abductees on behalf of the Borno State Government, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, assured the military that the two women would receive extensive care.

“The woman will undergo psychosocial support and rehabilitation before being handed over to their families for integration,” Gambo said.

“The EFCC and other security agencies in Nigeria are violators of human rights” Bobrisky says as he shares court filing praying the court to restrain security agencies from violating his rights.

Bobrisky, through his lawyer, had filed a petition in the Federal High Court of Nigeria to restrain the EFCC and other security agencies from harassing, arresting, detaining, or declaring the crossdresser wanted.

Bobrisky said that despite the court filing, the EFCC violently assaulted him and pulled him out of a plane that was about to tale off, which is a violation of his fundamental human right.

He said he now wants the world to see the security agencies in Nigeria for what they are.