Now after reading this title, you may be confused: what even is dengue and how is it bad? Well, dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection that can cause a severe flu-like illness and, in some cases, develop into a potentially life-threatening condition called severe dengue or dengue hemorrhagic fever. The virus is primarily transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female mosquitoes, mainly the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
You may also be wondering how does dengue even come up? A major way dengue outbreaks start is through the current climate crisis. Warmer temperatures associated with climate change can accelerate the development of both the Aedes mosquitoes that transmit the dengue virus and the virus itself within these mosquitoes. Higher temperatures can shorten the incubation period of the virus, leading to increased viral replication and faster transmission when mosquitoes feed on humans. Additionally, warmer temperatures cause a prolonged monsoon season which created ideal breeding conditions for the Aedes mosquito.
Now let’s get into this issue in Bangladesh. Since January, 1,017 people have died from the mosquito-borne disease, including more than 100 children, with infections rising over 208,000. Fatalities from the outbreak are almost four times higher than last year, when 281 people died. In September alone, there were more than 79,600 reported cases and 396 deaths, according to Bangladesh health authorities.
Fortunately for other countries, outbreaks like this generally are confined to its own location and will not become a pandemic (another COVID is not coming). However, these neighboring countries should implement some helpful policies to aid those in Bangladesh struggling. This could include medical supplies, resources, financial assistance, etc. This support could also come from the United Nations as Bangladesh has been a member since 1974.
This outbreak represents on a broader scale the negative implications of the climate crisis and how truly severe it can impact people. With these many occurrences, it is important to continue to consider how sustainable practices need to be maintained and created to avert these life threatening situations.
Ayan Kumar's Blog 