Bangladesh: 30 confirmed chikungunya cases in Dhaka region since July 22

Event

According to the Bangladeshi government’s Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), there have been 30 confirmed cases of chikungunya in 15 districts in and around Dhaka since July 22. Local media have also reported that the aedes albopictus mosquito, which is responsible for spreading the disease, has been found in Gazipur, Munshiganj, Savar, and Narsingdi, the latter of which has reported 12 cases, the most in any district outside Dhaka. The IEDC said all of the confirmed cases involved patients who had recently traveled to Dhaka. Medical professionals fear the disease may begin to spread rapidly in the densely populated capital region.

Context

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne disease. Symptoms include high fever, joint and muscle pain, rash, headache, nausea, and fatigue. The virus is rarely fatal but lingering joint pain can last for several weeks, even months, after the initial recovery. No treatment or vaccine for the virus is currently available.

Torrential rains and subsequent flooding and landslides affect Bangladesh on a yearly basis during the rainy season that spans from April to October, leaving widespread pools of stagnant water where mosquitoes breed, thereby increasing the risk of mosquito-borne diseases. Traffic and other transportation services in the capital city of Dhaka were significantly disrupted due to flash floods caused by heavy seasonal rains on July 12-13.

Advice

Individuals present in Bangladesh - particularly those in the capital region - are advised to take measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites (e.g., wearing covering clothing, using insect repellent, sleeping in a screened-in or air conditioned room) and to eliminate possible mosquito breeding grounds (small pockets of fresh water, such as rain water that has collected in cans, bottles, tires, flower pots, clogged gutters, etc.).