Country facing double whammy of dengue and coronavirus

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, May 6 At a time when the country is facing a hard time containing the spread of coronavirus, many cases of dengue have been
reported from various districts across the country. According to Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, under the Department of Health
Services, a total of 53 cases of dengue have been reported in 21 districts across the country since January this year. Rupandehi has
reported 14 cases while Kathmandu valley has reported eight cases of the mosquito-borne illness
Meanwhile, five cases have been reported from Myagdi, four from Kaski and three cases each have been reported in Kapilvastu and
Morang. &This is a season for the mosquito to breed
The rainfall has given them the environment to lay eggs
When rainwater collects in tyres, cans, bottles, or any utensils, the mosquitoes lay eggs,& said Dr Prakash Shah, chief of Vector-Borne
Disease Control Section at EDCD. According to the EDCD, 14,662 people tested positive for dengue and six people lost their lives between
July 17 and November 4 in 2019
The disease had spread in 67 districts across the country. &As we had a large number of cases last year, eggs of the dengue causing
mosquitoes are still there in our locality and when they find favourable environment they hatch,& said Dr Shah. &Dharan and Chitwan were
most affected last year
There are high chances of dengue outbreak in these areas this year too,& added Dr Shah
The dengue causing adult female Aedes Aegypti mosquito lays eggs on the wet surface of any container above the waterline
It generally lays 100 to 200 eggs at a time. &These eggs are hardy and stick to the walls of the container
They can survive dry conditions for up to a year
Once the eggs find favourable humidity, temperature and water, they develop into larvae
The eggs that didn&t hatch last year can hatch now,& said Ishan Gautam, associate professor of entomology, Natural History Museum, Tribhuvan
University. There should be proper management of waste to prevent dengue spread, experts say
&The country is undergoing double whammy of coronavirus and dengue
We need to take precautionary measures against both the diseases
As people are staying at home because of the current lockdown, they should clean the surroundings and destroy areas that favour mosquito
breeding,& said Gautam. &Guidelines for the prevention of dengue have been provided to the local levels across the country
We need to test both for COVID-19 and dengue if the people suffer from fever,& said Uttam Raj Pyakurel, vector-borne inspector at EDCD
To help prevent dengue, people must clean their surroundings; wear full sleeved clothes, use mosquito repellents and nets. &People should
wear light coloured dresses such as white and sky blue as the mosquito that causes dengue doesn&t like reflective surfaces,& added Gautam. A
version of this article appears in e-paper on May 7, 2020, of The Himalayan Times. The post Country facing double whammy of dengue and
coronavirus appeared first on The Himalayan Times.