Nepal issues dengue alert as studies find presence of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

Nepal on Sunday directed the authorities to be prepared for a possible outbreak of dengue after studies found the presence of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division of the Health Ministry issued an alert in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts.

The move came after studies found the presence of dengue-carrying mosquitoes in significant numbers.

Last year, at least 18 people in the Banasthali-Sano Bharyang area in the western part of Kathmandu were infected with the dengue virus.

"We have alerted all local units of the Valley through the provincial government and District Public Health Offices about the possible outbreak (of dengue virus)," Ghanashyam Pokhrel, a senior public health administrator at the division, told reporters.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease which is transmitted by the female Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

The same vector also transmits chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika virus, according to the World Health Organization.

"We already have dengue vector present in our locality and the environment for it to survive. And we already have dengue patients in the Capital," Pokhrel said.

"We have allocated a budget for the awareness programmes against possible dengue infection. The provincial government has also allocated a budget for dengue prevention," said Geeta Satyal, deputy mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City.

Public Health Inspector Indira Pandey at the provincial health office in Kathmandu said that budget has been allocated to local units to carry out awareness campaigns and search- and destroy-campaigns against dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

According to doctors, mild to high fever, severe muscle pain, rashes, severe headache and pain in eyes are some of the symptoms of dengue.