The alarming outbreaks of dengue in Nepal
Niran Adhikari, Dinesh Subedi
Abstract
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection. Since the first reported incidence in 2004, several sporadic outbreaks of dengue have been recorded from both tropical and subtropical regions of Nepal, including the capital city Kathmandu. However, in the last 5 years, the incidence of dengue cases has risen alarmingly. The largest-ever outbreak was reported in 2019, which killed six people. The global warming, unplanned urbanization, increased transportation, and lack of efficient mosquito control are presumably associated with the spread of dengue and its vector to the plane and hilly regions of this country. With the ongoing Nepalese government campaign "Visit Nepal Year 2020" to attract two million tourists in mind, effective dengue control measures must be implemented to control potential future outbreaks.