Biratnagar, April 24:

The Morang district public health has sounded malaria alert at all health posts in the district. It has also directed all staff at the health posts to maintain vigil and adopt preventive steps. The alert was sounded in view of the rising number of malaria cases in the district.

The DPHO told mediapersons today that 314 cases of malaria were detected since March. DPHO chief Bhanu Yangden said that Morang was the most severely affected district after Jhapa. Though the government had announced last year that malaria had been eradicated from 20 districts of the country’s eastern Tarai region the disease has returned with a vengeance.

Yangden said the number of malaria cases this year was likely to be higher than the 314 tally in 2007. Some 115 of these 314 malaria patients were severely affected. At least 4,546 persons were treated for malaria over the last year, said Yangde. He added that Urlabari, Pathri, Shanischare, Rajghat, Sidhraha and Madhumalla VDCs in Morang were more severely affected.

Teams from the DPHO are spraying insecticides in these VDCs. Health workers are also holding awareness camps and advising people to use mosquito nets and keep their hands and feet covered as far as possible.