MAKWANPUR: A total of 218 dengue infections have been recorded in Makwanpur District between July 17 and March 29, 2025, with Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City emerging as the hardest-hit area. According to the District Public Health Office, the outbreak also includes 48 cases of scrub typhus during the same period.

Of the dengue cases, 116 are men and 102 are women. Hetauda alone accounts for 169 infections, while smaller numbers have been reported across other local units, including Bhimphedi, Makwanpurgadhi, Manahari, Bakaiya, Bagmati, Kailash, and Raksirang. No dengue cases have been reported in Thaha Municipality and Indrasarowar Rural Municipality.

Scrub typhus infections are also concentrated in Hetauda, followed by scattered cases in Makwanpurgadhi, Bakaiya, and several rural municipalities.

Health officials attribute a recent decline in infections to public awareness efforts and mosquito control campaigns targeting breeding sites. However, with the onset of the rainy season, the risk of transmission is expected to rise again.

Data show a sharp increase in dengue cases in recent years, rising from 891 in the fiscal year 2023 to 2024 to at least 2,688 in 2024 to 2025, although the current year has so far seen a relative decline.