INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:

Kathmandu, August 19 Two staffers of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku, have been diagnosed with dengue. The patients

did not have a travel history to any dengue affected area, said Anup Bastola, spokesperson and consultant tropical medicine and physician at

STIDH. &This is an indigenous dengue case

When a local mosquito gets infected with the dengue virus and transmits infection to local people, it is called indigenous dengue,& he

said. Several dengue infected patients are receiving treatment at the hospital

The mosquitoes in the locality too are infected as there are dengue patients visiting the hospital for treatment

When an infected mosquito bites a healthy person the disease gets transmitted. When the infected mosquito lays eggs, the eggs too get

infected

There are high chances of more people suffering from the mosquito borne infection

&It has posed a high risk to hospital staffers, visitors and people living near Teku area,& said the doctor. There are 11 dengue patients

undergoing treatment in the hospital at present. As per the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, 11 cases of dengue have been reported

in the capital so far this year

The cases are increasing. &We have received information about two staffers suffering from dengue today,& said Bibek Kumar Lal, director at

EDCD. Kathmandu is at high risk of an outbreak

Dengue cases have already been reported from Kapurdhara, Baneshwor, Tinkune, Saibu, Imadol, Harisiddhi and other areas, said Uttam Raj

Pyakurel, vector control inspector at EDCD. EDCD, therefore, has decided to launch a community awareness programme in the capital as dengue

cases have been reported across the country

There are over 4,300 dengue cases in 43 districts of the country, according to EDCD. The EDCD has also requested all the bodies concerned

not to use rapid diagnostic test kit to test every case of fever. &Use the rapid diagnostic kit only on those who have been suffering from

fever for at least three days, have a white blood cell count lower than 4,000 cells/cubic millimetre and have platelet count lower than

100,000 per microlitre, said Lal. The post Staffers of STIDH diagnosed with dengue appeared first on The Himalayan Times.