Abstract

PIP: In Dhaka, Bangladesh, it has been recorded that hundreds of people are infected by dengue (a mosquito-borne viral infection), and there have been at least 12 dengue-related deaths. Those who have died include a dentist, an orthopedic surgeon, a hospital auxiliary, and a number of patients coming to the hospitals everyday. Such an outbreak is attributed to unchecked growth in the urban population, poor household water storage, and inadequate solid waste disposal services. Dengue fever has also hit the cities of Chittagong, Faridpur and Sylhet. Despite the enormity of the outbreak, the government insists that the situation is not that serious and that there is no reason to panic. However, Bangladesh has made an emergency appeal to the WHO to help control the country's increase in dengue fever.