Asia-Pacific

Dengue kills 19 in central Nepal in one month

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-09-20 11:56

KATHMANDU - At least 19 persons have died in a month and more than 7,000 have been afflicted with dengue and viral fever in Chitwan in central Nepal, The Himalayan Times daily reported on Monday.

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According to Mahendra Prasad Shrestha, District Public Health Officer, nine persons have died of dengue and viral fever in Chitwan Medical College (CMC), six in Bharatpur Medical College and four in Bharatpur Hospital since the spread of the diseases in the district in the last week of August.

He estimated that more than 7,000 others had been suffering from the diseases. According to Dr Shital Adhikari, head of Medical Department of CMC, 40 patients of dengue fever were visiting the hospital daily and at least 12 of them had test positive for dengue.

The disease spreads with mosquito bite and begins with common cold and fever, he said. According to health workers, once a person is afflicted with the dengue virus, he becomes susceptible to the disease in the future too.

The locals, however, accuse the local authorities of being apathetic towards controlling the diseases. Dr Adhikari pinned the blame for the spread of diseases on the government's failure to spread awareness against the diseases and urged to treat all such patients in a separate hospital.