Dengue Outbreak Claims 51 Lives In Nepal

Over 50 people have died and more than 42,500 tested positive for the dengue virus in Nepal which has been experiencing a surge in cases since July when the first infections were reported.

According to the data released by the Ministry of Health and Population, a total of 42,504 people have caught the disease as of Thursday. The mosquito-borne viral disease infected an additional 761 people in the past 24 hours.

With the death of two more people in the past 24 hours, the dengue death toll across Nepal has reached 51, the ministry said.

The disease, which started in mid-July has now spread to all 77 districts across Nepal. Dengue cases have increased since July coinciding with the rainy season with the majority of the cases reported during September (83.6 percent).

According to the World Health Organisation, Nepal reported its first dengue case in a traveler returning from India in 2004. Since then, dengue has been endemic in Nepal.

The highest number of new cases in 2022 has been reported in the districts of Kathmandu (33.8 percent), Lalitpur (23.2 percent), and Makwanpur (9.8 percent).