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Mystery disease claims another victim
By K.A.S. Kumara, Galle Correspondent
A mysterious disease has spread in the Galle area causing concern among the public with hospital authorities carrying out their own investigations.
One of the latest victims is a 40-year-old woman from Hikkaduwa who was admitted to the Karapitiya Hospital with a history of breathing difficulties. The woman was said to be a gypsy from Tambuttegama.

Hospital records indicate several other similar deaths in the area. Post mortems into the deaths have indicated the cause of death as pneumonia but the root cause of the disease is yet to be established. Among the dead are 46-year-old K. Somasiri from Ragama who died on April 3, Ms. C. Gamage from Gonapinuwala on April 10 and 48-year-old S.M. Seelawathie from Galle. There are around another 10 patients now receiving treatment at the Karapitiya hospital for the same unidentified disease and the condition of two of them is said to be serious.

Two patients in a serious condition were admitted to the intensive care unit.
Most of the patients complained of body pain, coughs and breathing difficulty. The ages of the dead range between 35 – 50 and parts of their bodies have been sent for analysis and research to Colombo.

Karapitiya Hospital Director Dr. Shelton Perera said a virus can cause pneumonia whereas the root cause for this particular ailment has yet to be established.

He also said incessant coughing and fever symptoms of patients need immediate medical attention. He said he had notified the regional health units that even a bacteria can cause this illness. He added that it would be another week before the root cause is identified and addressed.

There is a tendency of this disease spreading and he advised those with chronic cough and fever to seek medical assistance soon at the Karapitiya Hospital.

Director of the infectious diseases unit Dr. Nihal Jayasinghe said research and analysis is being conducted to make a breakthrough on the new virus with the aid of body parts of the deceased victims. He too advised that all those experiencing breathing difficulty and with chronic coughs be referred for medical attention forthwith.

So far the victims who have succumbed to the new virus are from Galle, but any patients outside that district should be subjected to surveillance and immediate treatment, he said.

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