KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 6

Dengue infection is gradually decreasing across the country, with a notable decline in cases since mid-October.

According to Dr Gokarna Prasad Dahal, Chief of the Vector Disease Section at the Division of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases, the decrease can be attributed to the plummeting temperatures and the government's efforts to control mosquito breeding.

In response to the rising dengue cases, the government launched a 'mosquito search and destroy campaign,' which takes place every Friday across government and non-government institutions, as well as hospital premises.

Dengue cases began to decline from the 42nd week of the latest outbreak of the epidemic some 10 and half months back. In the 42nd week, 2,582 cases were recorded, whereas only 55 cases were reported in the 45th week. However, Dr Dahal stressed that continued vigilance and prevention efforts are still essential.

To date, there have been 29,185 reported cases of dengue, with 12 fatalities. The outbreak has affected all districts in the country, except for Humla. Kaski has reported the highest number of cases at 7,224, while the Kathmandu Valley has seen a total of 6,612 infections: 4,595 in Kathmandu, 831 in Bhaktapur, and 1,186 in Lalitpur.