Kaski District Reports 40 New Dengue Cases as Outbreak Intensifies

Kaski district reported 40 new cases of dengue fever on Wednesday, bringing the total to 75 cases within the past week, according to the District Health Office, Kaski. Office Chief Ram Bahadur Nepali confirmed that the total number of dengue cases has reached 362 since January 2024.

“Dengue fever could take a massive form if we fail to contain it in time. It is spreading rapidly in some of the wards in the Pokhara Metropolitan City,” Nepali stated, highlighting the urgency of the situation.

Ward No. 8 of Pokhara Metropolitan City has been hit the hardest, with 16 of the city’s 319 reported cases. The District Health Office warns that dengue can be fatal if not treated promptly, and urges residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites, the primary transmission vector.

In response to the growing threat, Pokhara Metropolitan City’s Mayor, Dhanraj Acharya, announced the launch of a ‘search and destroy’ campaign to eliminate mosquito breeding sites. This campaign, aimed at preventing the spread of dengue, will be conducted from 10:00 to 10:30 every Friday morning.

Mayor Acharya also assured residents that the city is providing free dengue tests and treatment across all 46 health institutions within Pokhara. The campaign, which involves destroying potential mosquito habitats, comes as part of broader efforts to curb the outbreak, especially during the rainy season when water accumulates in pits and ditches, providing ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes.

At an interaction program on dengue prevention, Mayor Acharya urged the community to actively participate in the campaign, emphasizing that collective effort is crucial to controlling the spread of dengue in the region.