KATHMANDU, July 15: The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) says patients with suspected cholera have been admitted to several hospitals in Kathmandu Valley. Suspected cholera patients were admitted to Nepal APF Hospital in Balambu on Tuesday and to Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital (Teku) on Monday. Their Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) results indicated possible cholera infection.
The patients sought treatment after developing symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting. Hem Raj Pandey, head of the EDCD's Disease Surveillance and Research Section, said the results of their stool culture tests are still pending.
According to Pandey, further surveillance and necessary response measures will be carried out only after the culture test results are available. It takes around 48 hours to obtain the results. He said cholera cannot be confirmed through an RDT alone and can only be confirmed after a positive culture test.
Cholera detected in Kathmandu Valley
The EDCD has requested all health facilities in Kathmandu Valley to immediately report any patients with symptoms of cholera and cooperate with the authorities in the necessary response. Dr. Anuj Bhattachan, Director of the EDCD, said that medicines, testing kits, and other equipment required to manage cholera and other infectious disease outbreaks have been kept on standby.
"We have medicines, kits, and other necessary equipment ready," he said.
The Disease Surveillance and Research Section said the EDCD has sufficient RDT kits for cholera testing and has requested hospitals to collect them if patients with suspected cholera are admitted.
"We have the kits ready. Testing with the kits provides preliminary information quickly," Pandey said.
Earlier, a patient admitted to Civil Hospital in Kathmandu with symptoms of cholera was confirmed to have the disease. Dr. Rabi Prakash Sharma, the hospital's acting executive director, said initial RDT screening indicated cholera infection, which was later confirmed.
Outside the valley, cholera has been confirmed in one person in Biratnagar, Morang, and another in Bajhang since the onset of the monsoon on May 20.
According to the EDCD, 44 suspected cholera cases and 3,632 diarrhea cases have been reported across Nepal so far in 2026.
