10.1016@S1473 30991930616 4 PDF

Correspondence
4 Yuan Z, He C, Yan S, Ke Y, Tang W. Randomized

90 000 Notified dengue cases
controlled clinical trial on the efficacy of
Deaths 81 832
fosfomycin trometamol for uncomplicated
80 000
gonococcal urethritis in men. Clin Microbiol
Infect 2016; 22: 507–12. 70 188
70 000
5 Hauser C, Hirzberger L, Unemo M, Furrer H,
Endimiani A. In vitro activity of fosfomycin
Cases and death counts
60 000
alone and in combination with ceftriaxone
or azithromycin against clinical Neisseria 50 000
gonorrhoeae isolates. Antimicrob Agents
Chemother 2015; 59: 1605–11. 40 000
30 000
18 461
Unprecedented rise 20 000
in dengue outbreaks 10 000

38 56 73 131 2 324 2 2208
8 39 67 67
in Bangladesh 0
January February March April May June July August September
Dengue is a common mosquito- Figure: Dengue notifications and deaths in Bangladesh in 2019
borne infection that affects millions
of people each year. 75% of the Bangladesh, such as diphtheria. 4 *Kamrul Hsan, Md Mahfuz Hossain,
world’s dengue burden is in Asia, However, reliable data supporting the Md Shanjid Sarwar,
particularly in countries such as the importation of dengue via Rohingya Annelies Wilder-Smith, David Gozal
Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand.1 refugees do not exist. Given the kamrul.phi.ju@gmail.com
Bangladesh, in south Asia, has lower increasing connectivity of air travel,5 Department of Public Health and Informatics,
dengue seroprevalence than countries it is more plausible that dengue Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka 1342,
Bangladesh (KH, MMH, MSS); Institute of Allergy
in southeast Asia,2 but the situation outbreaks in Bangladesh are a result of and Clinical Immunology of Bangladesh, Savar,
is rapidly changing. We highlight the dengue importation from southeast Dhaka, Bangladesh (KH); Humanitarian Response
largest dengue outbreak in Bangladesh Asia, which is currently also witnessing Organisation, Dhaka, Bangladesh (KH); Department
for Disease Control, London School of Hygiene &
on record, which is taking place this an unusually elevated dengue pre Tropical Medicine, London, UK (AW-S); Heidelberg
year. valence. Climate change, unplanned Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg, Germany
Bangladesh had sporadic trans rapid urbanisation and construction, (AW-S); and Department of Child Health, and the
Child Health Research Institute, University of
mission of dengue virus from 1964 high population densities, and the Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO,
to 1999, but the first outbreak due struggling health-care system in USA (DG)
to dengue virus type 3 occurred Bangladesh further compound the 1 Wilder-Smith A, Ooi E-E, Horstick O, Wills B.
in 2000, 2 with dengue outbreaks magnitude and severity of dengue Dengue. Lancet 2019; 393: 350–63.
occurring at increasing frequency 2 Sharmin S, Viennet E, Glass K, Harley D.
outbreaks. Additionally, Bangladesh’s The emergence of dengue in Bangladesh:
and magnitude since then, peaking insufficient preparedness, including epidemiology, challenges and future disease
with 10 148 cases in 2018.3 In 2019, inadequate public health infrastructure risk. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2015;
109: 619–27.
dengue outbreaks surpassed all and suboptimal vector-control pro 3 Akram A. Alarming turn of dengue fever in
previous records, mostly in the capital grammes, further magnifies the impact Dhaka city in 2019. Bangladesh J Infect Dis
2019; 6: 1–2.
city of Dhaka. By August, 2019, a total of dengue virus importation, resulting
4 Rahman MR, Islam K. Massive diphtheria
of 70 188 dengue cases had been in epidemics of escalating severity. outbreak among Rohingya refugees:
officially recorded, with 67 dengue- Consequently, there is an urgent lessons learnt. J Travel Med 2019; 26: tay122.
related deaths. The numbers increased need to improve prevention and 5 Glaesser D, Kester J, Paulose H, Alizadeh A,
Valentin B. Global travel patterns: an overview.
to 81 832 cases with 67 deaths as control strategies in Bangladesh. J Travel Med 2017; 24: 24.
of the last count on Sept 16, 2019 Communities need to be engaged in
(figure). This high frequency of community-based measures to reduce
dengue cases is due to dengue virus mosquito breeding sites. Tools for Dengue infection in
type 3, but all other serotypes are co- early detection of dengue infection
circulating.4 need to be provided to all health-
Pakistan: not an
What are the reasons for this un care facilities, including diagnostic isolated problem
precedented rise in dengue cases? laboratory capability. Finally, clinicians
Bangladesh has had an influx of in Bangladesh need to be trained in Up until October, more than
Rohingya refugees from neighbouring managing severe dengue to reduce 19 000 cases of dengue infection and
Myanmar, which has led to a rise fatality rates. 30 deaths had been reported by the
in many infectious diseases in We declare no competing interests. National Institute of Health, Pakistan,
www.thelancet.com/infection Vol 19 December 2019 1287

10.1016@S1473 30991930616 4 PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

10.1016@S1473 30991930616 4 PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

10.1016@S1473 30991930616 4 PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Correspondence

4 Yuan Z, He C, Yan S, Ke Y, Tang W. Randomized

in dengue outbreaks 10 000

www.thelancet.com/infection Vol 19 December 2019 1287

You might also like