Powerful Photo Essay: The Alarming Rise of Dengue Fever in Nepal

These striking images narrate a grave tale of climate change and the spread of dengue fever, a disease recognized as the world’s fastest-growing mosquito-borne illness.

Photographer Yuri Segalerba presents a photo essay focusing on the alarming increase in temperature and the emergence of dengue fever in the Himalayan region of Nepal. Nestled at 2,438 meters above sea level, Chandannath is one of the highest towns where Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes and their larvae have been found. These mosquitoes, known carriers of dengue fever and other illnesses, were previously noted only up to an altitude of 2,100 meters.

Segalerba, who studies how traditional knowledge systems react to external pressures, was exploring dengue’s spread to Peru’s high Andes when he stumbled upon alarming developments in Nepal: “This was an ideal setting for my inquiry—where an ancient medical tradition confronts a disease it has never encountered,” he reflects.

Due to climate change and increased travel, dengue fever has proliferated across vast regions of Nepal. Reports indicate that in 2025, an estimated six fatalities from dengue fever occurred, with around 9,000 infections reported, spreading the virus to 76 out of 77 districts in the country, according to Kathmandu News.

This close-up reveals a female Aedes aegypti. The Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC), in collaboration with the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, is studying adult mosquitoes and larvae for color and shape alterations. These changes indicate potential resistance to insecticides and adaptations to different altitudes.

The research is supported by Mr. Ishan Gautam, Associate Professor and Director of the Natural History Museum at Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu. The larvae were sent to Geetamata Junior High School in Kathmandu, where an awareness campaign is being conducted to educate locals about Aedes mosquito habits, emphasizing the importance of eliminating breeding sites such as stagnant water.

In this image, Amchi Khedup Roden Gurung packages traditional Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan) medicine at a clinic in Jomsom, northern Nepal.

In Chandannath, the community is encouraged to install mosquito nets. Local resident Devi Kanya Katayata can be seen breastfeeding her son Nehan Buddha under a protective net in her home.

NHRC PhD student Sunita Baral is seen studying mosquitoes in a controlled breeding cage. The research is vital for understanding the lifestyles of the dengue-carrying mosquito prevalent throughout Nepal.

The following image depicts sheets drying under the sun in Pokhara Hospital’s courtyard. As the main gateway to the highland region of Mustang, recent cases of dengue fever have been reported there. Experts warn that these figures likely underrepresent the disease’s prevalence, as about 90% of cases show no symptoms, leaving many infections and deaths unreported.