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The Kathmandu Metropolitan City Office has urged citizens to promptly dial 1180 in case of suspected dengue infection and get required advice.

In response to the heightened risk of rapid breeding of dengue transmitting mosquitoes posed by ongoing rainfall, the local government has established a free hotline, 1180, offering counseling services to educate and assist citizens regarding dengue.

The local government has warned about a heightened risk of dengue infection amidst continuous rains.

The hotline service is available round the clock, said KMC Office's focal person for dengue, Rhishi Bhusal. 

Moreover, in case of health emergencies following dengue, the hospital has requested citizens to call 102 for access to a free ambulance service managed by the Office.

According to Bhusal, the KMC Office has deployed health workers and women health volunteers to raise awareness among citizens about dengue infection and its preventive measures.

Dengue cases are surging in hilly districts of Sudurpaschim Province lately.

A total of 140 cases of dengue infection have been detected in the Province since January this year with Doti district recording the highest cases at 47, according to Hemraj Joshi, Vector Control Officer at the Sudurpaschim Province Health Directorate.

Achham reported 26 dengue cases, Kanchanpur 24, Bajura 15, Darchula 10, Kailali 9, Bajhang 4, Dadheldhura 3 and Baitadi 2. "There is a high risk of outbreak and spread of dengue infection in Tarai region with rainfall," he cautioned.

Due to extreme heat, mosquitoes are dying in many places in Tarai at present, and as the rainfall starts and it gets a little cold, the risks of dengue infection will increase in Tarai as well, he warned.

With the prevalence of mosquitoes in the hilly areas, the cases of mosquito-borne disease are being reported along with malaria from these places lately, said Joshi.

He shared that medicines, treatment kit, healthcare providers and healthcare facilities are in place for dengue prevention and control.

Separate wards and beds have been managed for dengue patients in the public healthcare facilities, according to him.

Local levels are identifying the areas having larva and implementing the 'Larva search and destroy' campaign as a preventive measure.

The statistics showed that altogether 1,194 cases of dengue were recorded in Sudurpaschim Province in 2023.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has advised citizens to take precautionary measures against dengue fever infection.

With temperatures on the rise and the monsoon season approaching, the local government has cautioned residents about the heightened risk of dengue.

According to the advisory, the proliferation of mosquito larvae is expected to increase with the onset of rainfall, further amplifying the risk of infection.

Sajina Maharjan, the acting chief of the Kathmandu Metropolis health department, said though there have been no reported cases of dengue in the city thus far, the local government is concerned regarding its potential outbreak during rains. Regular cleaning is being carried out at the ward level to mitigate the risk; Maharjan added.

In preparation for any potential outbreaks, the local government has ensured the availability of essential supplies such as cetamol and Jeevan Jal for those affected by dengue. The supplies will be coordinated through the health promotion centers at the ward level.

Moreover, teams comprising center employees, volunteers, and sanitation workers are busy in finding areas with accumulated water, a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and cleaning them.

The local government also planned to undertake bio-larvicide spraying activities if deemed necessary to combat the spread of dengue infection.

Dengue is a viral infection caused by the dengue virus (DENV) and transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes, according to the World Health Organization. Half of the world's population is now at risk of dengue with an estimated 100–400m infections occurring each year. Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas. While many DENV infections are asymptomatic or produce only mild illness, DENV can occasionally cause more severe cases, and even death, per the United Nations health agency. 

In Nepal, dengue has emerged as a public health crisis. It has already spread in 76 districts infecting around 40,000 people so far this year and leaving many people dead. Hundreds of dengue infections in a day point at the gravity of the crisis. Favorable climatic conditions from the southern plains to the hills to even the Himalayan region have definitely contributed to this spread, apart from a general lack of awareness about the disease. Water stagnated in tyres, flower pots, air conditioning equipment, buckets, drums and puddles can be a breeding ground for Aedes mosquitoes that spread this disease through their bites. 

Preventive measures at household and community levels can go a long way in bringing dengue under control. This does not mean that local levels, provinces and the federal government should do nothing to address this health emergency. There’s a deepening feeling among the public that the governments–local, provincial and federal–have not been paying much attention to the outbreak because it does not afflict the ruling elites, given the health safeguards in place for them and easy availability of treatment. 

Through effective steps, the government should prove that this perception is wrong. 

This daily, through extensive reports, has tried to bring the attention of the government toward a public health delivery system that has become dysfunctional, by and large. At least in part, rising dengue infections are an indication of a disease afflicting this system. 

In turn, dengue is symptomatic of governance that has not been as effective as it should be in providing remedies for multiple ills plaguing Nepal and the Nepalis, from violation of national sovereignty to unabated corruption to rising market prices to increasing defense and security challenges. 

The challenges are formidable but they should not be insurmountable. Once again, the onus is on the government to take political parties, civil society, the people and other relevant actors into confidence and do whatever it takes to tide the country over the crises.    

Dengue infection has shot up in Baglung district lately.

According to latest data, dengue infection has been confirmed in 130 people in the district. More than 90 people have been confirmed dengue infected in the last one month alone.

According to the data in the last four months ago, 130 people contracted the disease, said Prabin Sharma, Chief of the District Health Office. He also urged people to be alert as dengue infection is fast spreading in the district.

"Until a month ago, dengue infection was very low, only 40 people were infected. In the past month, only 90 people were infected, but now the number of infections has shot up to 130. Dhorpatan Municipality has recorded the highest infection cases. As the infection is fast spreading, there is a need to avoid mosquito bites," he said.  

The infection was confirmed in 96 people during the testing of suspected patients at Burtibang Primary Health Care Centre alone. Similarly, 15 dengue infections have been confirmed in Dhaulagiri hospital, 17 in Galkot municipal hospital and two in Bongadovan health post.

Of the ten municipalities in the district, dengue infection has been confirmed in nine except Bareng Rural Municipality, said the health office.

According to the data with the health office, Dhorpatan Municipality confirmed 67, Baglung Municipality eight, Jaimini Municipality two, Galkot Municipality 14, Kathekhola Rural Municipality three, Badigadh Rural Municipality 10, Nisikhola Rural Municipality 18, Tamankhola Rural Municipality four, Tarakhola Rural Municipality one.

The hospital has been overwhelmed with dengue patients.

A person died of dengue infection at the Rapti Academy of Health Sciences (RAHS), Ghorahi.

The deceased has been identified as 51-year-old Yagya Bahadur Dangi of Ghartigaon, Madi Rural Municipality-2 of Rolpa, RAHS Information Officer Nisan Bhattarai said.

Dangi was brought to RAHS on Sunday evening although problems were seen in his health since some time back.

He died while under treatment this morning, according to Bhattarai.

Dangi was a teacher at Shree Krishna Secondary School, Ghartigaon.

As many as 17 people have lost their lives to dengue and 30,330 people have been infected in the Koshi Province since mid-July.

Sunsari district has witnessed the highest number of dengue infection cases.

At least 13 people died due to dengue infection and 19,432 people infected in the district since mid-July, informed the Public Health Officer of Koshi Province Health Directorate Dhankuta, Bibechana Chamlagain.

Dengue infection has broken out in all 14 districts of Koshi Province.

According to him, Morang has witnessed 4,242 cases of dengue infection while one person died of the contagion.

As many as 2,964 people have tested positive for dengue infection and two people have so far lost their lives in Jhapa. Likewise, a person also died due to dengue infection in Udayapur. 

Dengue-infected patients are undergoing treatment in Sunsari-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences and private and public hospitals in other districts.

Terhathum district now has 211 infected patients, Panchthar 338, Ilam 535, Udayapur 816, Dhankuta 432. Bhojpur 331, Sankhuwasabha 867, Okhaldhunga 40, Taplejung 33 and Khotang 45 and Solukhumbu 20.

With the outbreak of dengue infection, all local governments in the province have started an anti-dengue campaign. However, dengue infection has been on the rise in the province.  

The Sudurpaschim Province is at high risk of dengue spread, according to the data from the Sudurpaschim Province Health Directorate.

The focal person at the Directorate, Hemraj Joshi, said that the number of dengue patients is increasing day by day.

The province recorded a total of 353 dengue patients in August alone.

"The number of dengue patients has shot up in the month of August," he added.

In the past eight months, the province recorded 680 cases of dengue infection.

As per the data, Kailali district has the highest number of dengue patients while Baitadi has the least number of the infection. During the period, Kailali witnessed 232 patients.

Fortunately, there has not been recorded even a single death caused due to dengue this year.

Last year, the province had recorded four dengue-related deaths.

A person died of dengue infection in Kanchanpur on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Hikmat Khatri (28) of Pachui of Belauri Municipality-8.

Belauri Municipality Chairman Bisham Ram Rana said that Khatri breathed his last during the course of treatment at the Nova Hospital of Dhangadhi in Kailali last night.

Khatri, who had come home from India last week, suffered high fever following which he was rushed to the hospital.

It is not ascertained whether he had dengue before returning home, Chairman Rana said.

Rana has urged all people in the municipality to participate in a search and destroy campaign against dengue-transmitting mosquitoes.

Our estimate is that about 20,000 people have contracted dengue in the country so far this year and a majority of them are from Koshi Province. Almost half of the total patients reside in Sunsari district. The number of dengue patients in the Kathmandu valley is relatively small compared to other districts.

The government has an annual action plan and strategies to deal with outbreaks. Dengue outbreaks typically occur during the June-November period. For prevention and control, the government has accorded top priority to destruction of the mosquitoes’ breeding grounds. Regional and provincial administrations are working hard to raise awareness on dengue. The good news from Dharan (Sunsari district) is that the number of dengue patients has gone down significantly. 

For the next two months, the country remains susceptible. Stakeholders should join forces with the Ministry of Health and Population as well as with other parties to combat dengue.

The author is Chief at Vector-borne Disease Control Section, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division

A 41-year-old man from Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-12 died of dengue fever while receiving treatment at the Chitwan Medical College. 

According to the Information Officer at Health Office Ram KC, the patient died on Thursday in the course of treatment.

This is the first recorded death caused due to dengue fever in the district in the current fiscal year.

KC said that, so far, the district has recorded 53 cases of dengue from 532 sample tests.

All educational institutions operational in Dharan Sub-Metropolis of Sunsari have been closed for an effective campaign against dengue outbreak.

The executive committee meeting held on Tuesday took the decision to engage collective efforts for prevention and control of the contagion.

Dharan Sub-Metropolis Mayor Harka Raj Sampang said that the decision was made to run a dengue control campaign by pausing teaching and learning activities in the schools.

The Sub-Metropolis has called for the teachers and students of the schools to get engaged in the dengue control campaign during holidays.

The meeting also urged the social organizations, development organizations and local communities besides teachers and students to engage in the campaign in their wards.

Chief Administrative Officer of Dharan Sub-Metropolis Matrika Bhattarai said schools were shut down to effectively run a campaign of search and destroy mosquito larva of mosquito (Aedes aegupti) against dengue.

Likewise, Dharan-15 Chairperson Naresh Kumar Iwaram said the decision to widely mobilize the general public was made with an understanding that dengue outbreak would not be contained until and unless larva and eggs of dengue-transmitting mosquitoes are destroyed.

Dengue virus has taken lives of eight people, including a girl child in Dharan since June first week onward.

Lately, it has been difficult for dengue-infected patients to get beds in the health facilities, including private clinics and BP Koirala Institute for Health Sciences with the rise in cases.

Chief of Sub-Metropolis Health Section Umesh Mehata said that 2,495 out of 4,218 examined had tested positive for dengue.

The number is on the rise, he said.

Khairahani Municipality of Chitwan has kicked off a 'larva search and destroy' campaign to protect the people from mosquito-borne dengue disease.

The municipality has started the door-to-door visit campaign since Sunday to search and destroy mosquito larva in potential areas.

Mayor Shahsi Kumar Khaniya, Deputy Mayor Kabita Uprety, other elected people's representatives, employees, health workers and locals had participated in the campaign.

On the occasion, Mayor Khaniya pledged to continue the campaign and asked the residents to remain cautious of dengue outbreak.

He said that the public awareness creating campaign would be continued to eliminate the Aedes mosquitoes' eggs.

Municipality's health section chief Nirmal Ghimire said that the public sensitization campaign has been intensified by reaching out to the community to eliminate dengue risks.

"There are several areas within the municipality which are favorable for mosquitoes to produce larva, " he said, adding, 'Rapid urbanization is contributing to spreading the mosquito-borne infection'.

Meanwhile, Ratnanagar Municipality has urged the municipal residents to adopt safety measures to protect oneself from mosquito bites.

The municipality has urged all ward residents to participate in the campaign to search and destroy mosquito larva.

Public Health Officer of the municipality Madhav Prasad Poudel said that the 'search and destroy' campaign has been put in place to eliminate the larva of mosquitoes that can transfer dengue.

Number of patients with dengue infection has reached 13 in Chitwan.

According to the Health office Chitwan, 13 people were tested positive to the dengue while carrying out blood tests among 121.

Eight people have died of dengue infection in Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City.

Umesh Mehta, Chief of Health Division, said that the deceased are four men and four women.

Mehta said that a 10-year-old boy of Dharan-11 died in the last 24 hours in Dharan.

The child died during the course of treatment on Wednesday.

Earlier, one woman each of Dharan-17 on June 13, Dharan-11 on June 30, Dharan-18 on July 18, Dharan-5 on July 19 and one man each of Dharan-11 on July 18, Dharan-2 on July 23 and Dharan-10 on July 24 died of dengue infection.

BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan has started the treatment by operating a separate dengue hospital after dengue became endemic to Dharan.

Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr Prahlad Karki said that a separate dengue hospital was brought into operation to facilitate the treatment of patients after Dharan has been overwhelmed by dengue patients.

At least 4,289 dengue cases have been reported across the country.

According to the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, the number of dengue cases was 2,930 as of 15 July.

Koshi Province has recorded the highest 2,754 cases followed by 776 in Bagmati, 344 in Gandaki, 316 in Sudurpaschim, 166 in Lumbini, 22 in Madhes and 20 in Karnali.

Ten districts have been hit hard by the disease.

The affected districts are Sunsari, Dhading, Kaski, Darchula, Kathmandu, Sankhuwasabha, Myagdi, Kanchanpur, Rupandehi and Morang where 3,671 people have been infected with the disease.

Dengue virus spreads among people through the bite of an infected Aedes species of mosquito.

The Division projects that the virus risks are high between the Nepali months of Asar, Shrawn, Bhadra and Ashoj.

The District Health Office, Kavre has started preparations to control the spread of dengue in the district. The district is at high risk of dengue.

Chief of District Health Office Dr Purushottam Sedhain said that the stakeholders are asked to destroy the possible breeding sites of mosquitoes and regularly clean up the factories. 

The Office is working in close collaboration with the District Disaster Management Committee.

Likewise, clinical and laboratory works are also being taken care of to reduce the risk of dengue spread in the district.

Similarly, the local levels, schools and community level health institutions have been asked to take measures against the dengue.

Furthermore, the awareness raising materials from the National Health Education of the Division of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases Control have been shared to all local levels in the district through different mediums, Dr Sedhain said.

Kavre district had first recorded the dengue in April.

According to Dr Sedhain, so far, 680 individuals are infected with the dengue in this season adding that Banepa Municipality has the highest number of cases with 487 ones.