Dengue spreads to 74 districts, two deaths reported

KATHMANDU: Dengue infection has now spread to 74 districts across Nepal, with cases rising following continuous rainfall.

According to Dr. Gokarna Prasad Dahal, Chief of the Vector-Borne Disease Control Section at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), a total of 3,247 cases have been confirmed so far.

In the past week alone, 211 new cases were detected, while two people have died from the disease.

Province-wise distribution shows:

• Koshi Province: 568 cases

• Madhesh Province: 62 cases

• Bagmati Province: 675 cases

• Gandaki Province: 914 cases

• Lumbini Province: 551 cases

• Karnali Province: 93 cases

• Sudurpaschim Province: 384 cases

Dr. Dahal has urged the public to remain cautious as the rainy season continues, creating favorable breeding grounds for Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, the primary carriers of dengue.

The mosquitoes lay eggs in clean, stagnant water, where larvae grow and develop into adult mosquitoes capable of transmitting the disease.

To curb the spread, the government has launched a nationwide “Search and Destroy Mosquito Breeding Sites” campaign every Friday.

Last year (2024), dengue spread to 76 districts, infecting 41,865 people and causing 15 deaths.