Death toll from dengue reaches seven in Gandaki

Seven people, including three men and four women have so far lost their lives to dengue infection in Gandaki Province.

The Ministry of Health shared that a 48-year-old man of Tanahun had breathed his last on July 25 due to dengue infection.

Since then, dengue infection claimed a 40-year-old man from Kaski on August 6; a 52-year-old woman from Kaski on August 15, and a 61-year-old man from Myagdi on September 4.

According to the ministry data, three women aged 81, 70 and 75 years died in Kaski during September and October.

Information Officer and senior Health Education Officer at the Ministry, Prashant Raj Sharma, said 12,726 dengue cases have been confirmed in Gandaki since January 2024.

He further informed the province capital Pokhara has been the most affected by dengue infection. So far, 6,452 people have been confirmed infected in Pokhara Metropolitan City alone.

A total of 70 dengue cases were reported in January, while the number of infected people has increased to more than 12,500 in the nine months since then. Officer Sharma said the rate of dengue infection has been increasing since July last year. He said 728 dengue cases were reported in July; 4,083 in August and 6,720 in September.

Kaski has so far the highest number of dengue infected people with 6,548 while Manang has the lowest with two.

A total of 2,861 cases of dengue have been confirmed in Tanahun; 1,146 in Parbat; 664 in Gorkha; 539 in Baglung; 443 in Syangja; 213 in Myagdi; 181 in Nawalpur; 120 in Lamjung and nine in Mustang.

Doctors have warned of a higher risk of dengue infection from June to November.