Health Officials say risk of dengue is not over

By Mahima Devkota, Kathmandu, Oct.24: Health Officials have suggested being cautious of mosquito bites as the fear of dengue infection is still prevalent.

According to Dr. Gokarna Dahal, head of, the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) and Vector Borne Disease Control Division under the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), even though the dengue infection and mortality from it has decreased, the risk and spread of dengue infection are yet to be over.

New cases are still surfacing and people are getting hospitalized, so the risk of dengue infection is still there. Therefore, efforts should be made to clean up the mosquito breeding places and avoid mosquito bites.

He said, "We have to take precautions for at least one more month, then, the temperature will go down and the mosquitos will itself disappear in lack of a proper breeding environment. As dengue infection this year was observed even in districts with cold climates, therefore, we need to be vigilant and avoid mosquito bites."

Dr. Chuman Lal Das, Director of the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) said that until and unless new cases stop to surface and mortality from dengue infection remains negligent, the risk from dengue will not subside.

"We will search out the mosquito-prone areas and will destroy mosquitos before they will start breeding next year."

He said that in order to control dengue infection technical working group meetings have been convened to facilitate dengue response and to strengthen vector surveillance activities in high-risk/high-case reporting districts. Search and destroy campaigns for mosquitoes in municipalities have been initiated. Vector surveillance and sample collection in high-case reporting districts in Kathmandu have been initiated.

A total of 43,685 cases of dengue infection and 52 deaths have been recorded this year.