In a bid to lessen the spread of the dengue virus during the ongoing monsoon season, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City has decided to continue the drive to destroy mosquito larvae and breeding grounds.

Officials at the health department of the city office said on Friday that they have just completed a week-long drive in all 32 wards of the metropolis and plan to continue these efforts in the coming days as well.

“Every Wednesday, our health volunteers will visit households and open spaces to destroy mosquito breeding grounds,” said Rishi Bhusal, epidemic prevention and control focal person at the metropolis. “Decisions on preventive measures including launching search and destroy drives will depend on the spread of virus and intensity of rainfall in the coming days.”

Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by female Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The same vectors also transmit chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika virus, according to the World Health Organisation.

According to data provided by the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, at least 1,268 people from 72 districts have been infected with the dengue virus since January this year. Among the 72 districts that reported dengue outbreaks, Kathmandu has the highest number of cases: 141.

Public health experts say reported cases could be just the tip of the iceberg, as around 80 percent of those infected are asymptomatic.

Many people infected with dengue show mild symptoms and can be treated with paracetamol at home.

Dengue symptoms include mild to high fever, severe muscle pain, rashes, severe headache, and pain in the eyes. Patients with these symptoms are advised to seek immediate treatment. While there is no specific cure for the disease, early detection and proper medical care can prevent death.

Nepal reported its first dengue case in a foreigner in 2004 in the Chitwan district. Since then, an increasing number of dengue infections have been reported from many districts, including major dengue outbreaks.

Last year, at least 20 persons died, and more than 52,000 were infected by the virus, which had spread to all 77 districts.

In 2022, a total of 88 people died, and over 54,000 were infected by the virus across the country. During that period, hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley were overwhelmed with dengue patients, and pharmacies ran out of paracetamol, the most widely used medicine to treat fever.

In 2019, the disease killed at least six people and more than 16,000 were hospitalised across the country. The virus had spread to 68 districts at the time.

Though the post-monsoon period is considered the dengue epidemic season, the deadly disease has already become endemic in Nepal, as outbreaks of the virus are reported every month, including in the winter months.

Officials at the health department said that 654 health workers, including female community health volunteers, were deployed in the week-long campaign, which concluded on Friday.

“Volunteers and health workers who were deployed to the door-to-door campaign checked the mosquito breeding grounds and the larvae, made people aware about the risks and destroyed the breeding grounds,” said Bhusal.

Health workers reported that storage places for scrap materials, discarded cups, and plastic in open spaces, and unused lands as potential hotspots for the dengue virus in the coming days. Health workers have warned owners of these sites that action will be taken if mosquito larvae are found against the owner of the storage place if mosquito larvae were found.

Dengue-transmitting mosquitoes breed in clean water and bite people in daylight. Uncovered water tanks and discarded objects, such as plastic cups and bottles, could be breeding grounds for these mosquitoes.

Public health experts say now is the right time to prepare for and prevent possible outbreaks. Health ministry officials said they have alerted all related agencies to the risk of a dengue outbreak.