Climate shifts and urbanisation drive Nepal dengue surge

Mosquito-borne disease now seen at unheard of altitudes in 'alarming trend'

KATHMANDU - Nepal is fighting a surge in dengue cases, a potentially deadly disease once unheard of in the country's high-altitude Himalayan regions, as climate change and urbanisation nurture fever-bringing mosquitoes in new zones.

Only a single case of dengue was recorded in Nepal in 2004. Two decades later, thousands of cases are being reported across the country.

Once confined to tropical regions in the country's plains, dengue-carrying mosquitoes have begun breeding in the valleys and even cool mountainous areas, reaching elevations where its bite was once unknown.

Twelve people have died and more than 28,000 people have been infected in 2024, including 18 cases in Solukhumbu district, home to Mount Everest.

Doctors say the real number might be higher, as not everyone is tested.

"It should not be seen here at all," said Dr Suman Tiwari, district health chief for Solukhumbu, which sits at an altitude of some 2,500m.

"What is surprising is that some people with no travel history have also tested positive for dengue."

In the worst cases, dengue causes intense viral fevers that trigger bleeding, internally or from the mouth and nose.

The capital Kathmandu, at an elevation of approximately 1,400m, has seen more than 4,000 cases.