KATHMANDU (DPA) - Health authorities in Nepal were on high alert after an outbreak of dengue claimed the life of a person in the capital and the country's agriculture minister was infected.

There were 2,559 cases of dengue across the country as of Tuesday (Sept 3).

Four people are reported to have died, including a man in the capital Kathmandu on Thursday, said Prakash Shah, a doctor with Nepal's Epidemiology and Disease Control Division.

Agriculture Minister Chakrapani Khanal has been diagnosed with the mosquito-borne disease and is receiving treatment at a private hospital in Kathmandu, his press officer confirmed.

Mr Shah said the government has issued circulars to all district administration offices to remain alert.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered the cleaning of public places around the country to control the breeding of mosquitoes that carry the disease," he added.

Mr Shah said he expected the outbreak to last through the end of the rainy season next month.

In mild cases, the virus causes fever, aching bones and rashes.

In severe cases, however, it can lead to internal bleeding, including in the brain, and can be fatal.