Unknown fever on the rise

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

A 36-year-old male was admitted to a private hospital in Kathmandu with a history of fever, headache, body aches, nausea and appetite loss. Despite laboratory investigations, the cause of the fever was unidentified. He was treated with multiple broad-spectrum antibiotics and recovered uneventfully. The question remains: What was the cause of the fever? In recent years, the number of patients with undiagnosed fever cases has increased in Nepal. In 2019, fever of unknown origin (FUO) was a primary reason for hospitalisation at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital (STIDH). A fever is not an illness but rather a symptom or sign of a disease, mainly infectious. As monsoon begins, many patients with FUO are visible, highlighting how unknown infections are possibly spreading across the country without our notice.