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🇳🇵 Nepal /Health & Science

Nepal alerts 15 areas to dengue risk as infections climb

From Kathmandu Post · (1d ago) English Critical tone

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Nepal's Epidemiology and Disease Control Division has alerted 15 local levels, including Kathmandu, to a high risk of dengue surge.
  • Officials are urging local governments to initiate dengue prevention measures and public awareness campaigns due to rising temperatures and pre-monsoon rainfall.
  • Despite a decline in cases compared to last year, health authorities emphasize the persistent risk and the need for preparedness, noting dengue's spread even into mountain districts.

The Kathmandu Post reports with concern as Nepal's Epidemiology and Disease Control Division issues a stark warning to 15 local administrative areas, including the capital, Kathmandu, about a looming surge in dengue infections. The division has formally alerted these regions, urging immediate action to combat the escalating threat. This proactive measure comes after a concerning rise in cases, with over five infections reported in March alone in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

Multiple factors, including rising temperature, pre-monsoon rainfall, and drinking water crisis, which prompts people to hoard water in open tanks, increase the risk of dengue surge.

— Dr Gokarna DahalChief of Vector Control Section at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, explaining the reasons behind the dengue alert.

Officials highlight a confluence of factors contributing to this heightened risk. Rising temperatures and the onset of pre-monsoon rainfall create ideal breeding conditions for Aedes mosquitoes, the vectors for dengue. Compounding this is the common practice of hoarding water in open tanks due to water scarcity, further exacerbating the potential for widespread transmission. Dr. Gokarna Dahal, chief of the Vector Control Section, emphasized the urgency, stating that letters have been dispatched to the affected local levels to initiate a 'search and destroy' campaign and to educate the public.

We have written letters to 15 local levels, including the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, which recorded more than five cases of infection in March and have also alerted others about the risks.

— Dr Gokarna DahalChief of Vector Control Section, detailing the specific actions taken by the division.

While data indicates a decrease in reported dengue cases this year compared to the previous one, health authorities caution against complacency. Dr. Roshan Neupane, director at the division, stressed that a decline in reported cases does not equate to a lessened risk. The division is urging all concerned agencies to begin preparations, conduct thorough searches for mosquito breeding sites, and disseminate crucial public health information. The endemic nature of dengue in Nepal means health authorities no longer classify new cases as outbreaks, underscoring the persistent challenge. The virus has spread across 76 of the country's 77 districts, even reaching mountain regions previously thought to be too cold for the vectors, a phenomenon linked to global warming extending the elevational range of disease-carrying mosquitoes.

Compared to last year’s data, dengue cases have declined this year.

— Dr Roshan NeupaneDirector at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, commenting on the trend of dengue cases.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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