KATHMANDU, Feb 23: Health experts have warned of major outbreak of vector-borne diseases, claiming that virus-carrying mosquitoes are present in most of the hilly districts as well as in the Tarai region and that the rising global temperature has further compounded the problem by spreading the carriers to places they were not found in the past.The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) of the Department of Health Services (DoHS) has particularly cautioned about the risk of an outbreak of zika virus with the change in the season as the carrier mosquitoes become active in warmer temperature.
Dr Baburam Marasini, director at the EDCD, said that there are high chances of the zika virus entering Nepal's Tarai via India.
The main vector, Aedes aegypti, has been found even in the Kathmandu Valley in significant numbers by surveillances carried out by various government health agencies like the EDCD and District Public Health Office (DPHO), Kathmandu.
Moreover, water-hording trend at homes in the capital because of acute water scarcity increases the risk, as Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, thrive on clean water.
"Lots of people are vulnerable to dengue, zika virus and other vector-borne diseases, as the carrier mosquitoes are present in most of the districts," Dr Megnath Dhimal, chief research officer at Nepal Health Research Council, said.
Dr Dhimal, who pursued his Phd degree on climate change and vector-borne diseases, claimed that the rising temperature is somehow responsible for spread of vectors in most of the districts.
"Mosquitoes have reached to most of the districts due to various reasons and the rising temperature gives them favorable environment to survive there," added Dhimal. He claimed that several studies carried out in the past have found mosquitoes surviving in mountainous districts like Rasuwa and others, which he said is alarming.
Meanwhile, Dr Marasini warned that the Valley's population is vulnerable to vector-borne diseases like zika virus, dengue, chikungunya and others. However, he conceded that the EDCD is not prepared to control the looming threat of the emerging vector-borne diseases.
The EDCD, which is responsible to contain epidemics throughout the country, said that there are almost a dozen diseases transmitted by mosquitoes but the division has neither effective vector controlling programs nor sufficient budget.
"First malaria came, than kalaajar, dengue, chikungunia, Japanese encephalitis, filariasis, chandipura virus, west Nile virus and now we are at the risk of zika virus," said Dr Marasini, adding that the EDCD does not have budget even to spray insecticides and for awareness campaign.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared zika virus as global public health emergency.
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