KATHMANDU: The Provincial Health Directorate has recorded 1,369 confirmed cases of dengue, indicating that the outbreak in Gandaki Province is getting worse. With 552 cases, including the death of a 48-year-old man from Byas Municipality, Tanahun is the most afflicted district. Kaski comes in second with 480 instances, 40 of which were newly reported on Wednesday.

Other districts impacted include Gorkha (111 cases), Baglung (86), Parbat (66), Lamjung (55), Myagdi (41), Syangja (36), Nawalpur (11), and Manang (1). Dengue cases have surged from 70 in January and 87 in June to 643 in July and 474 by early August.

Ram Bahadur Nepali, Head of the Health Office in Kaski, warned that dengue risk peaks from June to October and highlighted the need for urgent action to prevent a worsening situation. Although recent cases in Pokhara have declined, the potential for a significant increase remains high if not addressed.

Kaski had 3,069 cases of dengue last year, of which 2,809 were in Pokhara Metropolitan City. In response, the Pokhara Metropolitan Municipality and other local authorities launched a "Search and Destroy" campaign to stop the spread of dengue.