KATHMANDU, Sept 10: Health authorities have raised concerns over the growing number of dengue infections, which has now extended to Kathmandu Valley. Mukunda Rijal, the ward chairman of Kathmandu-16, succumbed to the disease last Monday. According to the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), the death toll from dengue has reached 14.
Till date, a staggering 24,417 people have been diagnosed with dengue, and the outbreak has spread to 75 districts across Nepal. The four hardest-hit districts are Sunsari, Jhapa, Dhading, and Morang. In Kathmandu district alone, the number of infections has surged to nearly 500, with 458 reported cases. In this month alone, 35 new infections have been confirmed.
Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, chief of the Clinical Research Unit at Sukraraj Tropical & Infectious Disease Hospital, revealed that an average of a dozen patients have been seeking treatment for dengue on a daily basis since last week. He noted that some of these individuals require hospitalization, while others are treated as outpatients.
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Dr Yogendra Shakya, head of Maharajgunj-based TU Teaching Hospital’s General Practice Department, highlighted that they have been seeing around three new dengue cases daily for a week. He also observed that many of these patients exhibit compromised liver function.
Meanwhile, the Health Branch of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City has not reported any significant rise in new dengue infections within the city. Ram Prasad Paudal, head of the Metropolitan City Health Branch, stated, "We have not received reports of new infections in Kathmandu as of now." Nevertheless, the EDCD has been issuing advisories for over a month, urging the public to remain vigilant about the risk of dengue infection.
Helping Hands Hospital in Chabahil has been treating approximately 10 dengue-infected individuals per week. Dr Gupt Bahadur Shrestha, the hospital’s director, noted that one patient out of those who seek treatment is admitted, while the majority receive outpatient care. He added that most cases are associated with common dengue symptoms, with fewer instances of more complex medical issues.
Dengue is a communicable disease transmitted through the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Individuals afflicted by this illness commonly experience symptoms such as severe headaches, eye pain, body aches, the development of red skin spots, and, in more critical cases, internal bleeding, and a decrease in red blood cell count, which can lead to fatality.
Doctors emphasize the importance of preventing mosquito bites, as individuals are often bitten repeatedly by the same mosquito. Additionally, curbing the growth of the Aedes aegypti mosquito involves eliminating its breeding grounds. To this end, medical professionals recommend taking precautionary measures such as emptying containers that may have collected stagnant water, cleaning containers used for storage, and ensuring that tires or empty bottles with accumulated water over several days. These steps are vital in preventing the proliferation of the disease-carrying mosquitoes.
