Kathmandu, Oct 13: Dengue cases are rising again in Kathmandu Valley and several districts. In the past week alone, 413 new infections were recorded.
According to the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), 5,874 people have tested positive since mid-December 2024, with four deaths reported across 75 districts. Gandaki Province saw the highest number of new cases, followed by Bagmati, Karnali, Lumbini, Sudurpaschim, Koshi, and Madhesh.
Dengue, spread by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, was first detected in Nepal in 2004 in Chitwan. Initially confined to the Tarai, it reached the hills after 2018 and caused major outbreaks in 2019 and 2020. In 2022, dengue spread to all 77 districts, infecting over 54,000 people and killing 88. Last year, 52,000 were infected and 20 died, while in 2024, 15 deaths and 41,865 infections were recorded.
The disease now circulates locally throughout the year. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, eye pain, muscle and joint pain, and rashes. The critical phase, 48–72 hours after fever subsides, can turn severe with internal bleeding or plasma leakage.
Experts attribute the spread to rising temperatures, dense population, urban crowding, climate change, and prolonged rainfall. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water found in tires, flowerpots, and containers, thriving between 28–32°C.
Prevention depends on avoiding mosquito bites and destroying breeding sites. People are advised to wear full-sleeve clothes, use nets and repellents, and clear standing water. Children, elderly, and those with chronic illnesses are most at risk.
People’s News monitoring Service
Login to add a comment