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Dengue mosquito continues to sting
By Nalaka Nonis

This is why it happens

Unplanned, uncontrolled urbanization, increasing popula tion density, in urban areas,
Increasing non-biodegradable containers and poor solid waste, disposal
Unreliable water supply systems
Increasing distribution and density of vector mosquitoes
Lack of effective vector control activities
Increasing movement – spread of dengue virus and vectors
Lack of community participation and inter-sectoral coordination.

The number of dengue cases reported has already risen to 859 in January this year marking a considerable increase when compared to the same period last year, where only 379 such cases were recorded, the National Dengue Control Unit said.

Of the mentioned 859 dengue cases some 469 were reported from the Western province with Colombo topping the list with 255 cases, while Gampaha with 133 and Kalutara with 81 comes records the next highest number of cases in the island wide list.

In January last year 138 dengue cases were reported from Colombo, 77 from Gampaha and Kalutara just 14 cases with a total of 3605 dengue patients reported from the Western province last year. However only one death and it was from the Galle district, was reported so far this year.

The number of dengue cases reported from Kandy, Kurunegala, Ratnapura and the Matara districts has also risen considerably in the first month of this year when compared to last year’s numbers.

Dengue cases reported from the Kandy district have risen from 18 to 70, Kurunegala from 26 to 70, Ratnapura from 15 to 70 and Matara from 5 to 61.
A reason for a lesser number of dengue cases to be reported from the southern province last year, for example one from Galle, five from Matara and none from Hambantota was mainly due to health concerns coming in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster.

By the end of January this year, 18 dengue cases were reported from Kegalle, 12 from Puttalam, 14 each from Anuradhapura, and the Badulla districts.
The least number of dengue patients have been reported from the northern and eastern provinces with Ampara and Mannar districts not having reported a single dengue case while only three were reported from the Jaffna district and one from Kilinochchi district.

However the decline in the numbers reported from the North and East has been attributed to the lack of ready access to information.
National Dengue Control Unit Entomologist Ranjith Alwis told The Sunday Times that the increased incidences of dengue cases also revealed that the epidemic was mainly prevalent in urban areas while the rural areas have not been vulnerable to the disease so far.

He cautioned the public neither to lessen their vigilance with regard to mosquito breeding sites nor to remain complacent of the dengue threat given the fatal nature of the disease.

Mr. Alwis said the common belief among people that piles of garbage dumped beside city streets provided potential breeding places for dengue mosquitoes was far from truth as studies have shown that in the contrary garbage dumps were not suitable for the dengue mosquitoes to live and breed.He said instead it was residential premises that were known to provide the most suitable breeding sites for the deadly dengue mosquitoes.

“Unused tyres, laundry tanks, uncovered water containers, drums/barrels, bottles, tree holes, bamboos, old shoes, discarded toys, roof guttering, and brick holes were some of such places where these deadly mosquitoes breed”, Mr. Alwis said.

He said the NDCU would soon launch a campaign to urge and encourage people to allot half an hour a week to get rid of mosquito breeding sites from their gardens and added that schools would also be told to take up this practice.

Mr. Alwis described fever, headache, muscle, joint pain, vomiting and rash as symptoms of dengue fever. He said severe and continuous stomach pain, skin haemorrhages, bleeding from the mouth, nose, gastro-intestinal bleeding – coffee ground vomiting, black stools and black stained urine were symptoms of hemorrhagic dengue fever which was more often than not proves to be fatal.

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