Bangladesh could face a more severe dengue outbreak in October, according to leading medical entomologist Dr. Kabirul Bashar, a professor in the Department of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University.

“Our forecasting model indicates that the dengue situation is likely to deteriorate further in October,” he said on Monday while speaking at a workshop titled “Strategic Action Planning for Dengue Prevention” held at Hotel Sonargaon in the capital.

Dr. Bashar also challenged a widely held belief about the mosquito responsible for spreading dengue.

“Many people think that Aedes mosquitoes bite only during the daytime and not at night. That is incorrect. Aedes mosquitoes can also bite at night, and this has been confirmed through multiple studies and observations,” he said.

He explained that while Culex mosquitoes become more visible during the winter season, Aedes mosquitoes often receive less attention because their numbers appear lower. However, he urged people not to become complacent even when mosquitoes are less noticeable.

Questioning the effectiveness of fogging operations, Dr. Bashar said fogging is not an effective method for controlling Aedes mosquitoes and should be reconsidered.

“Fogging is largely ineffective against Aedes mosquitoes and may pose health risks. Dengue control measures must be based on scientific evidence,” he stated.

He further explained the transmission process of dengue, noting that a mosquito does not immediately spread the virus after biting an infected person.

“If an Aedes mosquito bites a dengue patient and then bites another person, the second person will not necessarily become infected immediately. The virus requires time to develop inside the mosquito, usually at least two days,” he said.

According to him, this is one reason why multiple members of the same household often become infected several days apart.

“Therefore, if one person in a household is diagnosed with dengue, all mosquitoes inside the home should be eliminated immediately to reduce the risk of transmission to other family members,” he added.

The workshop was attended by Local Government Minister Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan as chief guest, while Local Government Division Secretary Shahidul Hasan chaired the event.

Health experts have repeatedly called for stronger community awareness, source reduction campaigns, and evidence-based mosquito control strategies as Bangladesh continues to battle recurring dengue outbreaks.