Chitwan’s seasonal battle: Fever cases with changing causes

By Basanta Parajuli,Bharatpur, Sept. 23: Every year, Chitwan district reports hundreds of cases of fever. While the district was prone to malaria until some years ago, the causes of fever have of late been changing annually. Currently, viral fever caused by communicable diseases is increasing and the cases of fever by malaria are decreasing. 

“Since mid-April, 8,492 fever patients have reached hospitals in the district for treatment. Of them, two have died due to scrub typhus and dengue,” said Ram KC, information officer for the Chitwan Health Office.

The health office also informed that 171 of the fever patients had dengue, 1,453 had typhoid and 154 had problems in their heart and respiration. Likewise, 72 fever patients tested positive for scrub typhus. 

Tests conducted by the research lab under the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Bharatpur Hospital show that a majority of the fever patients were suffering from influenza (flu).

“Of the 269 fever patients diagnosed in the past three months, 60 were suffering from swine flu, a type of influenza A virus. Similarly, 67 others tested positive for seasonal flu (influenza B) and 33 for COVID-19,” said Jivanjani Rana, a lab technician at the research lab.

As there were several causes behind fever in the locals of Chitwan, Doctors informed that testing facilities have been upgraded.

“The majority of fever patients currently are suffering from influenza. Dengue and typhoid have also been turning worrisome,” said Dr. Prakash Khatiwada, chief of the medical division of Bharatpur Hospital.

Health workers informed that the trend of fever patients visiting the hospitals had increased, allowing proper diagnosis and treatment. “However, the annual change in the causes of fever should be studied properly,” suggested Dr. Sashi Jung Pandey.

Dr. Pandey, who has been treating fever patients in Chitwan for a long time, added, “At least once a year, a fever epidemic hits Chitwan, especially when the season is changing. However, the causes and severity of the fever are also changing.”

Gayatri Dhakal, a public health inspector who worked as the focal person of Chitwan during the COVID-19 pandemic, said that there were still incidents where locals neglected to visit health centres citing ‘normal fever’.

“Locals should be made aware. They should understand that the cause of fever can be different and if not treated immediately, the patient could suffer more,” said Dhakal.

In 2002, typhoid killed four individuals in Chitwan. Two years later in 2004, the first case of dengue was reported in Chitwan. Similarly, two years later in 2006, scrub typhus turned into an epidemic in the district, and dengue increased the headache in 2008.

Likewise, scrub typhus was rampant in 2016 and several individuals died of swine flu in 2017. In 2020, 2021 and 2022, COVID-19 was the major cause of fever.

“But now, dengue, scrub typhus, typhoid and other influenzas are making individuals sick at once. In the last fiscal year 2022/23, 34,533 fever patients were treated across Chitwan,” said KC.