Dengue may spread via sexual contact; more research requested

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Zakia Ahmed
Published : 04:00, Nov 12, 2019 | Updated : 04:00, Nov 12, 2019

Mosquito nets have been arranged for every dengue patient at a special ward recently opened at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital in Dhaka. Photo taken on Jul 23, 2019. BANGLA TRIBUNEWhile so far we knew Dengue to be a mosquito borne disease, there comes a new alarming revelation --- it can also spread through intercourse. The possibility of the spreading of the Zica virus via copulation has been proved before. Based on the recent revelation, doctors have asked for necessary steps to be taken.
So far this year, till Nov 10, 97,801 patients with Dengue were admitted in hospitals and the report of 251 deaths was sent to the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). It analysed these deaths and confirmed that 112 died due to Dengue.
Regarding the spread of Dengue via sexual contact, entomologist Kabirul Bashar, said: “This also happened in Korea in 2018.”
“We know that Dengue can spread through blood donation, breast feeding, oral sex, limb or bone marrow transplant.”
Former director of IEDCR, Dr Mahmudur Rahman, observed: “More research needs to be done to get incontrovertible evidence that Dengue can spread through intercourse; but since mosquito borne disease Zica spreads through physical intimacy, the issue has to be properly researched.”
Zica, Chikunguniya, Dengue, Yellow Fever – all belonged to the same group, he added.
Chairman of virology of BSMMU, Dr Saif Ullah Munshi, said: “Viral diseases are transmitted sexually; there were cases in Italy where Dengue virus was found in the semen of a person who came from Thailand.”
More research needs to be done on the matter, he opined.
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