Bangladesh is battling simultaneous dengue and measles outbreaks that have strained hospitals and intensified calls for mosquito control and emergency vaccination.
Dengue infections have risen sharply in the southern Barishal and Khulna divisions following heavy rainfall. More than 3,000 infections have been reported in Barishal division, including over 900 in Pirojpur district, according to local health officials.
Khulna Medical College Hospital has recorded six dengue-related deaths and lacks a dedicated ward for patients with the mosquito-borne illness. Patients are being treated in general medicine wards, sometimes without mosquito nets, raising concerns that mosquitoes could transmit the virus inside the hospital.
Authorities in Jhalokathi have deployed mobile courts and fogging equipment in high-risk areas. Property owners have also been fined 5,000 Bangladeshi taka, approximately $41, for failing to remove mosquito breeding sites.
Bangladesh is simultaneously responding to a nationwide measles outbreak affecting 58 of its 64 districts. The World Health Organization said 19,161 suspected cases, including 2,897 laboratory-confirmed infections and 166 measles-related deaths, were reported from March 15 through April 14. Most patients were children younger than 5.
The outbreaks come as India approves its first dengue vaccine. Takeda Pharmaceutical’s Qdenga is authorized for people ages 4 to 60 and is given in two doses three months apart. The vaccine targets all four dengue virus types and is expected to become available through private health providers in India in the first half of 2027.