Dengue spreads in 73 districts, highest in Kathmandu

By Srijana Khatri, Kathmandu, July 25: Dengue is confirmed in 1,825 people in 73 districts across the country. 

According to the Head of the Insect Disease Control Branch at the Epidemiology and Communicable Disease Control Division Dr Gokarna Dahal, dengue has been detected in 1,825 people in 73 districts so far.  

So far, dengue has not been observed in four districts of Karnali province including Mustang, Dolpa, Humla, and Jumla. The highest number of dengue patients has been recorded in Bagmati and Koshi Province. The number of dengue patients in Bagmati Province stands at 593 and 461 in Koshi Province. 

Dengue has been confirmed in 294 people in Gandaki Province, 201 in LumbinI Province, 210 in SudurPaschim Province, 43 in Madhesh Province, and 23 in Karnali Province. 

The highest number of recorded cases are in Kathmandu which is 209 and 129 in Jhapa. 

Dr Dahal said that the only way to prevent dengue is to avoid mosquito bites. 

Symptoms such as acute fever, pain in eyeballs, frontal headache, vomiting, joint pain, and macular skin rash are observed in dengue patients. However, some patients may develop life-threatening conditions such as acute dengue hemorrhagic fever, dengue shock syndrome, and multi-organ failure. 

He suggested using insect repellent, wearing full-sleeve clothes, using a mosquito net, and emptying possible mosquito-breeding items that hold water, such as tires, buckets, planters, pools, toys, flowerpots, or trash containers. 

The best way to prevent dengue is to destroy the mosquitos’ breeding sites and places in houses, schools, and offices, where water gets stored, to frequently clean water containers, and to destroy mosquito breeding.