Health ministry asks people to stay alert about dengue

The Ministry of Health and Population has urged people to remain cautious about dengue infection that goes rampant during rainy season.

Escaping mosquito bites is main option to remain safe from the infection, said the Ministry. It has asked people to wear clothes that can cover all body part, use mosquito nets and repellent, and destroy mosquito breeding areas to escape mosquito bites.

“Rainfall is taking place daily. Mosquitos lay eggs in ditches and containers filled with clean water. So, tidiness is essential,” said Dr. Gokarna Dahal, chief of the NTD & Vector Born Disease Control Section under the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division.

The Ministry has asked for the launch of a campaign against the disease on Fridays. As part of the campaign, all government employees will tidy up the areas surrounding their respective office buildings every Friday.

So far, 88 people have died from the infection. As of now from 30 December 2022, 701 people were infected with dengue. In 2022, a total of 54,630 people were infected.

According to available data, 32 infection cases were recorded in 2006, 917 in 2010, 686 in 2013, 1,527 in 2016, 2,111 in 2017, 811 in 2018, 17,992 in 2019, 530 in 2020, and 540 in 2021.