Public sentiment regarding the dengue outbreak in Bangladesh is largely negative, with significant frustration directed towards government inaction, ongoing environmental issues, and the challenges posed by poverty. Many express deep concern for those affected, highlighting helplessness and systemic failures.

Bangladeshi Government

Health Ministry

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Mosquitoes are even more disgusting than cockroaches.

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DHAKA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Bangladesh faces a fast-worsening public health crisis as the mosquito-borne diseases dengue and chikungunya spread side by side, overwhelming hospitals and heightening fears of an even bigger outbreak in the weeks ahead.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services, the South Asian country has recorded over 33,800 dengue cases and 132 deaths this year. In the first week of September alone, at least 10 people died and more than 1,500 were admitted to hospitals with fever.

Chikungunya, absent for years, is making a forceful return. Between January and July, four Dhaka-based labs confirmed 785 cases of the virus, with detection rates topping 30% in some facilities. In the port city of Chittagong, officials reported 30 cases in just 24 hours, pushing the city’s tally to nearly 3,000 this year.

Hospitals are struggling to cope. At Dhaka Medical College Hospital, the country’s largest public hospital, wards are overflowing, with more than three times the number of patients they were designed to hold.

straygoat193

India should seal the borders to prevent spread.

SummerSunWinter

I caught Dengue in 2023. All I can say is try your best not to get bitten by any mosquitoes.

avamissile

I caught it last year in Legian. Thought I was going to die. I like that place but I'm not returning.

dandelionyellowevo

We’re in Uluwatu at the moment, rain season the mosquito’s are out of control. You will get bitten but chance of getting dengue is very low. I would avoid open air villas at this time of year, not much fun.

Outrageous_Garage536

In 2019, 7 out of 8 members of my family caught it in Sanur. We stayed at an AirBnb which didn’t fog in December. Members of my family have been back since without any issues but I’m not game. Keep the DEET mozzie spray up and maybe aim to stay in hotels or resorts where they fog.

AnythingWithGloves

I’ve had it twice, once in 2002 and again in 2008. I’m going to Bali/Indo in a couple of months with my young daughter and I am a little worried, but Ive spent loads of time in dengue countries since and avoided it. I didn’t know the first time was dengue until I got it the second time.

I do think the rise in cases probably correlates with the rise in tourism, and our increased awareness is probably down to social media and threads like these.

Just take sensible precautions - the fewer bites (especially daytime) the lower the risk.

Exciting_Stretch_847

Def try not to stay anywhere that is next to rice fields or green lots if you’re worried about dengue. Last year it seemed like there were a lot of cases, not heard anything so far in 2025 either way.

Yakka43336

You can’t avoid mosquitos entirely, and there’s always the risk. Some people are luckier than others. It’s endemic there.

SERPnerd

It's always here, the risk is always here. Minimise your risk or avoid it entirely, up to you.

perryurban

Just travelled with my wife, 11 year old son and triplet 6 year olds. We never got it luckily, but myself and daughter got bitten like crazy even after applying Soffell religiously- mozzies were particularly bad in Keramas area, staying right by a river surrounded by paddies etc 

Ubud was also rife, canggu too but Keramas was the worst.

Good luck!!

marty_thomas

Caught it last year in Ubud and there was lots of talk at the time that it was around. Haven't heard a whisper this year.

MuSH_mAn13

Apparently it’s bad up in Amed at the moment which is quite unusual

Innerpoweryogaaus

I brought a can of mosquito repellent with Picaridin from Canada, which worked really well. I also used concentrated lemon eucalyptus oil—I’d apply several drops directly to my clothes before heading out. This combination gave me solid protection and minimized bites. Picaridin is highly recommended because it’s as effective as DEET without the strong smell or greasiness. The lemon eucalyptus oil is a natural option that adds an extra layer of defense. If you’re heading to Bali, staying consistent with mosquito protection is key, especially around dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.

AccomplishedFox4551

I got it in 2016 in Bali in Sanur and it’s the sickest I’ve ever been. 

Wife was pregnant and Zika was allegedly around. I thought if she wears DEET and I wear nothing the mosquitoes will always come to me and she will be safe.

She was safe… I played a stupid game and won a stupid prize.

teamramrod_

Do we require any vaccinations before coming to Bali?

Zubsrk

besurf

[deleted]

Just get the vaccine.. or lots of DEET spray.

GretaPhoenix

Dengue risk goes up in areas with higher population density. And it takes several layer of thing to happen:  
1. one specific mosquito species (aedes aegypti)  
2. to bite a person infected with dengue  
3. to then still be hungry, find you, and bite you  

These skeets dont travel far and mostly activebearly morning and dusk. So if you stay at a resort/hotel, apply repellents during waking time, sleep in cold A/C room (they dont even fly when it's cold) chances are you'll be fine.

ADMINlSTRAT0R


We met a doctor a few days ago about a different issue, and he said that yes, many people are sick with dengue. (We live in Canggu.)

ObligationPhysical18

I’ve had it plus Ross river virus no big deal for me guess it affects people differently

rands36

Alot of health sites heavily recommend you do not attend bali if attempting to get pregnant or are pregnant. 

I wouldn't take the risk with an unborn baby. Go next year

BigBitcoinBaller

I don't think you can avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, but you can prevent it (not 100%) by applying traditional Chinese ointment/balm to make the mosquitoes avoid your skin. Mosquitoes usually hate the balm smell. Normally, dengue is more common in the city than in rural areas, at least where I am based. 

Anyway, I live where dengue is common. It's even a common practice for buildings to schedule fogging every fortnight. I had it once 11 years ago in the city area. I have never gotten it since. I recovered by hydrating myself with coconut water. 

I hope you can enjoy Bali without thinking about dengue possibility. Not every mosquito bite is equal to dengue unless that particular area is a high dengue alert area. When I was in Bali, everything was good, and I don't remember getting bitten because I was too busy exploring. 🌴

whygeorgie

Before getting worried about risks you need to dig a little beyond the clickbait headline or gotcha social media post.  Asking a question like this on here is also priming yourself to worry even more because its going to attract people that got dengue and be ignored by the millions of people that visit every single year that didn't get it.

Your chances of getting it are incredibly low and you can do basic precautions to lower your chances even more.  Stuff you should be doing anyway because mosquito bites are annoying.  Wear repellent that you can buy it at every convenience store.  Cover up during peak activity times of morning and evening.  If you're seeing mosquitos around don't let yourself get eaten alive, move somewhere else.  

And make sure you're paying attention to your little one for this stuff too - I see way too many kids running around covered in bites :(

fleckt

There is a lot of noise about a gastro outbreak right now. Any Truth in this?

SK-8R

Handful of locally acquired cases identified in Los Angeles too

mesahal

Ordinarily would say yes, but Don't know. Depends on how the situation develops.

jodhod1

damn, man

we've really made a name for ourselves as an unsafe country

noiboddo

Depends on where you’re going, if you have any local contacts, and your travel experience with developing countries. The month of May is quite hot, so you need weather appropriate clothes and an air conditioned hotel room. 


If you want to travel to out of the way locations in a rundown bus and like…disconnect from society to camp in the Sundarbans…it’s not a good idea. But a more normal trip like attending a friend’s wedding or a work event should be fine. English can get you by in cities.

Many-Birthday12345

Stick the the city you’ll be fine, people in Bangladesh are generally friendly

SeaExcitement4288

You can visit Bangladesh any time you want and you probably not gonna get into any trouble. I saw couples of videos from travel vloggers visited during the middle of  July-August revolution where the situation was even worse. 
Bangladeshi radical bigots tend to not intervene foreigners at any situation, best they do is stare. They save their circuses for their own people. As for security, you should avoid certain areas to not get mugged. You can take help from the police all the time. They may not help us but they do help foreigners with their best.

NoobSlayerr007

Hello, It's actually hard to say. Don't know what the political situation will be then, things are a bit unstable here. Keep an eye out and follow the general safety rules if you do visit us; not lurking in unsafe places after dark and keeping an eye out for scammers.

Right now it should be fairly safe. I doubt it will deteriorate in May that will make me say it's unsafe. But as I said, take my word with a grain of salt considering the political instability and tension.

fogrampercot

It’s best to have someone local to accompany you to public places.

labibaisonreddit

Use your instincts and do not double guess it at any time. 
If possible, avoid night or late night roaming in the city. 
Do not walk around with anything of value, or at least don’t make it visible. 

You’ll be fine.

expressionless-oo

Solo trip? Lowkey a vibe, but ngl, you might hit some challenges. If you got local fam to roll with, you’re chilling it’s way safer that way!

Educational_Fault_31

It's better to have a guide or a trusted local to accompany you. You will be fine.

AJ_Saif

JaggerLaAurora

It’s fine to visit. These are some areas which you should visit ; 

Balurmath ,Korail, Begun Bari, Bhola, Duaripara, Lalbagh, Mannan, Mohammadpur.

Good coffee shops, great food. 

Enjoy your visit.

PresentationMain2000

Let me know if you want a private resort service for you near Purbachal, close to the airport. Family run, will take care of you :)

Majestic_MW21

frustrated_bonga

Don't do it. Never visit the country again.

Comfortable-Table-57

Intelligent_Box_2995

It's overall safe to visit. But you will have to be cautious about a few things.

If you haven't been in this part of the globe, then you are in for a cultural shock. People are mostly friendly, to a greater extent over-curious. If they recognize you as a foreigner, they will gather around you. Some might even follow you.

May isn't really a good month to visit here. It will be almost full summer with soaring high humidity and rain. Mostly the humidity will exhaust you. It's also early time for dengue fever.

Food is tasty yet unhygienic in a lot of places. Be a little careful while trying out street foods. It can hurt your stomach. I know foreigners who liked and tried everything we throw at them with delight. I also know some who were cautious and didn't even try anything other than the foods from the restaurants of the hotel they stayed in.

The law and order isn't in very good shape after the uprising. It should get better. But stay in when it's dark if you visit.

At Dhaka, places like Gulshan, Banani, and Baridhara are the most tourist friendly. However if you really want to come, keep some time to visit the countryside and, the villages.

Good luck!

TNTBD

At worst you'll be stared at by curious locals who have never seen foreigners irl.
Don't go out after sunset as mugging is getting increasingly common due to recent events. If you are a female, wearing clothes that don't expose your skin helps.

a_reeeeb

undercover-joker

Best not to given how the political situation will deteriorate after march

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Bangladesh faces a rising dengue fever outbreak, with significant fatalities reported, highlighting a growing health crisis.

Bangladesh Dengue Outbreak 2025

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