BUTWAL: Lumbini province has recorded a rise in scrub typhus and dengue infections over the past nine months. According to the Health Directorate of Lumbini, 231 cases of scrub typhus were confirmed across 12 districts following tests on 2,780 suspected patients.
Dang district reported the highest number of scrub typhus cases at 65. Other recorded cases include 22 in Palpa, 14 in Rupandehi, five in Bardiya, five in Banke, four in Nawalparasi West, three in Kapilvastu, three in Pyuthan, and two in Rukum East, the directorate stated.
Meanwhile, 827 cases of dengue were confirmed during the same nine-month period out of 846 suspected cases. Palpa recorded the highest number of dengue infections with 251 cases. Other districts reported 163 cases in Dang, 128 in Rupandehi, 65 in Gulmi, 63 in Nawalparasi West, 45 in Arghakhanchi, 31 in Bardiya, 26 in Banke, 25 in Kapilvastu, 16 in Pyuthan, nine in Rolpa, and five in Rukum East, according to public health officer Tara Bahadur Karki.
Karki noted that the incidence of both diseases has increased compared to previous periods. Efforts are being prioritized to conduct testing and implement control measures in high-risk areas. Dr. Rajendra Giri, director of the Health Supply Management Center in Butwal, stated that testing kits for both diseases have been dispatched to the affected district health offices.
Medical experts explain that scrub typhus is transmitted through the bite of mites, while dengue is spread by Aedes mosquitoes. Authorities have advised the public to maintain cleanliness in bushes and fields and to exercise caution while working outdoors to mitigate the risk of infection. Local government bodies are also conducting various activities to control the spread of these diseases.
