Malaria outbreak in Banke VDCs

Nepalgunj, June 18:

The number of malaria patients is on the rise in villages near the Rapti river in Banke.

“Malaria symptoms have been noticed in people in some wards of Gangapur and Phattepur VDCs,” chief of the Epidemic and Disease Control branch at Banke District Public Health Office (DPHO) Ram Bahadur Chand said.

“Though the details have not been received yet, a team of health workers has been sent to the affected areas,” Chand said.

“A team led by malaria inspector Ghanshyam Shrestha and assistant health worker Dil Bahadur Pun has been sent to the site,” DPHO administrator Kehar Singh Godar said, adding, “Though the disease has surfaced, it has not yet assumed the scale of an epidemic.” Thirty-three persons died of the strain of malaria called phalsifarm and 160 persons in Holiya, Gangapur and Phattepur VDCS contracted the disease last year.

Stating that insecticides were sprayed in the affected VDCs last year, Godar said the DPHO plans to spray insecticides in the affected VDCs this year, too. The spraying will be done once the current spell of rain stops, he added.