With little or no rains being received and the number of dengue patients conequently declining, doctors are requesting people to be vigilant. Kalubowila Teaching Hospital Director Dr. Asela Gunawardena said compared to the figures for the end of 2013, patient numbers are low even this time. He said in January 2015, 521 suspected dengue cases [...]

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Less rain, fewer dengue patients, say doctors

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With little or no rains being received and the number of dengue patients conequently declining, doctors are requesting people to be vigilant.
Kalubowila Teaching Hospital Director Dr. Asela Gunawardena said compared to the figures for the end of 2013, patient numbers are low even this time.

He said in January 2015, 521 suspected dengue cases had been reported to the hospital while only 206 cases were reported in February.

Normally, more dengue cases are reported at the end of March and the beginning of April every year, but this year Kalubowila and Dehiwala areas were affected by the short showers which gave mosquitoes ample opportunity to even breed early, he said.

He said that if dengue cases continue rising till the onset of the south-west monsoon there will be a possibility of a massive dengue increase with the advent of the monsoon.

He said dengue patients are reported mostly from Dehiwela, Mount Lavinia, Moratuwa, Piliyandala and Pamankada areas.

Colombo National Hospital Director Anil Jasinghe said his hospital has a fewer number of patients due to less rain being received.

He said in January there were 102 patients with dengue fever and 28 patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever, but in February only 91 cases of dengue, five dengue hemorrhagic fever cases and one female death were reported.

He said that if the breeding places are destroyed before the rains there would be a better chance of reducing the spread of the disease.

The Colombo Municipal Council Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ruwan Wijeyamuni said a few dengue cases were reported at the beginning of this month, adding the situation is now under control.

He said the Municipal Council would focus more on dengue during the upcoming monsoon period

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