Baitadi : Baitadi district is at high risk of malaria infection these days. The district has been recording the increasing number of malaria patients in the last three years, according to the Public Health Office, Baitadi’s Health Assistant, Santosh Pandey.

Several wards in Melauli Municipality, Shivanath Rural Municipality and Pancheshower Rural Municipality in the Upper Swarad areas are at very high risk from this mosquito-borne disease. “There are total 40 malaria patients recorded in these places in the recent years,” shared Pandey, adding that 33 patients were found in the last year while 7 malaria patients were recorded since April this year.

According to Pandey, the malaria patients here were diagnosed during the blood test. There’s only a modern lab set up at Kesharpur Primary Health Centre which tested the blood of these patients. The nearest health posts had sent the blood samples of the patients to Kesharpur Primary Health Centre for test.

Pregnant women and children in lower Swarad areas in the district are vulnerable of contracting this disease, said Pandey. The locals have received mosquito nets as a preventive measure against malaria that is spread by the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito. Insecticide has also been sprayed in the mosquito infested areas. RSS