Creating an environment that fosters open dialogue on reproductive and sexual health is vital.

With every outbreak, the virus seems to be taking a more complex form.

Its presence in Kathmandu is alarming, and a possible ‘surprise outbreak’ cannot be overlooked.

We must prioritise continuous surveillance, genetic analysis and vaccination.

Surveillance and vaccination are important to sustain Nepal’s polio eradication status.

With the virus appearing in India, Nepal must it in routine laboratory tests, especially during monsoon.

Nepal should initiate surveillance to identify possible cattle-to-human bird flu transmission.

Airborne diseases are more likely to become “Disease X”, which can quickly spread beyond borders.

One possible explanation for a sudden rise in disease severity in patients could be ‘FluVid’.

The knowledge gap about rabies in communities should be immediately addressed.

Nepal must invest in broader research to understand RBF and its causative agents before it is too late.

A different serotype infection can cause severe symptoms but the same serotype gives lifelong immunity.

Authorities must invest in test kits and fever research to understand patterns of infectious diseases.

Larvae destruction campaigns and awareness programmes are the best way to prevent dengue.

The dengue virus is one of the main causes of the break-bone fever outbreak in Dharan.