Even as Bangladesh grapples with a significant measles burden, the country is now facing one of its worst dengue outbreaks.According to health ministry data, more than 90,350 people have been hospitalised and 281 deaths reported since the beginning of the year.In October alone, 10,736 people have been hospitalised and 36 have died, raising concerns that the outbreak could worsen.Dengue Death Toll Among Highest RecordedThe death toll of 281 makes this the fourth-highest annual figure since Bangladesh’s first major dengue outbreak in 2000.According to the Directorate General of Health Services, the highest number of dengue deaths was recorded in 2023, when 1,705 people died.A death review by the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), led by its Director Prof Quazi Ahmed Zaki, found that more than one-third of dengue patients who died did so within a day of hospital admission.The review of 119 deaths also found that many patients had experienced delays of at least three days before being diagnosed, according to Prof Zaki, as reported by The Daily Star.All 4 Dengue Serotypes Active Medicine specialist Dr ABM Abdullah said repeated infections and delayed diagnosis were contributing to severe cases and deaths.People previously infected with dengue could face a higher risk of severe illness during subsequent infections, he said.“Dengue has four serotypes. When people are infected for the first time, they often do not realise that they have dengue. They may mistake the symptoms for influenza or another common illness and recover without serious complications,” he said.However, subsequent infections can be more severe, particularly when a person contracts dengue for the second, third or fourth time, he added.Prof Abdullah said dengue had also become harder to recognize early, with some patients developing mild or non-specific symptoms such as low-grade fever, body aches, a runny nose or cough.“The problem is that patients often do not realize that they have dengue. By the time they are diagnosed, their condition may have become serious, leaving doctors with limited options,” he said.He urged people to undergo dengue testing if they develop fever, body aches, headache, cold or other mild symptoms while dengue is circulating.Bangladesh Considers Dengue Vaccine TrialsAmid the rising cases and deaths, Bangladesh is considering clinical trials of a dengue vaccine, Reuters reported.Recent rainfall has created favorable conditions for mosquito breeding, raising concerns that the outbreak could worsen.State Minister for Health M.A. Muhit said as all four dengue serotypes had been detected in Bangladesh, increasing the possibility of repeated infections because immunity to one serotype does not protect against the other three."With all four dengue serotypes now circulating in Bangladesh, we are considering conducting vaccine trials in the country," Muhit said.Health experts have said dengue is no longer concentrated only in major cities and that spraying alone will not curb transmission unless mosquito breeding sites are eliminated.The government is considering a dengue vaccine as a long-term measure to reduce infections and deaths, but there are no immediate plans to begin vaccination.“We are discussing vaccines as a long-term measure. There are probably three dengue vaccine candidates in the world at present. We are also considering the issue in Bangladesh, but it is not happening at this moment,” Muhit said.