Bangladesh

00000000In July 2000, there was a dengue outbreak in Bangladesh involved 16 districts. The total reported case were 5,551 cases: 4,385 DF and 1,186 DHF with 93 death (CFR = 1.6%). Most of the cases were in adults. DEN 2, DEN 3 and DEN 4 were identified in 278 specimens (no DEN 1). In Chittagong, there were 70 children admitted to pediatric ward of Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Twenty-five (35.7%) were DF, 35 DHF(50% and 10 DSS (14.3%). The mean age was 8.4 ฑ 3 years and the male to female ratio was 1.5:1. There were 5 deaths. The CFR was 7.1%; 5.1% for DHF and 30% for DSS. (Data from the BAATM Meeting 2001, Second International Meeting on Tropical Medicine Update, 13-14 April 2001, Chittagong, Bangladesh).

00000000Following an outbreak of DHF in Calcutta in 1963, there was an outbreak of dengue fever in Bangladesh in 1964(1,2). Known as "Dacca fever" with symptoms closely resembling those of dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF), the results of the investigation showed that dengue virus type 3 (DEN-3) was the aetiologic agent. Most of the reported cases were young adults in whom some signs of bleeding diatheses and CNS involvement were seen. There was one fatal case, a 25-year old male, who died of complications from encephalitis, bleeding and vascular collapse.

00000000Before this outbreak, sporadic cases of DHF had been reported from the border areas near Myanmar. A similar situation recurred in the following year but no laboratory confirmations were made. In 1980, four cases of clinical DHF, with one death, were again recorded without any laboratory investigation.