Mayor Taposh says total prevention of dengue is ‘impossible’

Dhaka South City Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh claims that no country in the world has been able to completely contain the mosquito-borne dengue virus, calling it an "impossible task".

Despite an alarming spike in dengue hospitalisations across the country, Taposh believes the outbreak of the disease is still under control.

“Nobody will be able to prevent the viral fever completely. No country has been able to do it as yet. But the disease is under control in Bangladesh," he said on Wednesday.

"Statistics show that the dengue situation is far better here than in other countries, even though the death toll from the disease is rising."

Taposh highlighted the efforts of the city authorities to eradicate the breeding grounds of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the carrier of the dengue virus.

“Although Bangladesh recorded more rain than other countries, it hasn't stopped us from launching a drive to identify and destroy potential mosquito breeding sites.”

“We should understand that the larvae of Aedes mosquitoes have spread in Bangladesh due to the overall climate, geographical and environmental conditions,” the mayor said, urging everyone to be careful to tackle the crisis.

Dengue fever turned into a severe outbreak this year in Bangladesh ahead of the rainy season. The number of patients hospitalised with the disease reached nearly 10,000 in the first seven months of the year. The death toll from the disease now stands at 61.

Taposh asked the Directorate General of Health Services to improve the quality of services to fight the dengue outbreak.

He urged locals to report any potential mosquito breeding sites in Dhaka and promised to kill the larvae in 15 minutes.