News
32,000 dengue infections raise fears of a severe outbreak
View(s):By Nadia Fazlulhaq
Dengue fever is spreading rapidly in heavily populated Gampaha and Colombo districts and health authorities fear an outbreak will surpass the tally of 72 deaths and 76,000 patients in 2022.
So far this year, 32,000 and 20 deaths have been reported — the majority from the Western Province.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe this week ordered all Provincial Chief Secretaries to take immediate precautionary measures to prevent the spread of dengue.
PHIs checking houses in Maligawatte. Pix by Akila Jayawardena
He also instructed armed forces and police to get involved in provincial-level dengue control programmes. Heads of Government institutions and schools were told to check and clean up mosquito breeding sites.
Provincial health authorities were told to check houses and shops in urban and rural areas, make public announcements, and visit areas where patients have been detected.
According to Health Ministry’s Dengue Control Unit, dengue mosquitoes are multiplying in Attanagalle, Biyagama, Wattala, Ragama, Mirigama, Minuwangoda, Mahara, Dompe, Negombo MC, Kelaniya, Katana, Ja-ela, Divulapitiya, Gampaha in Gampaha district.
In Gampaha District, six deaths have been reported from Ragama, Ja-ela, Attanagalle, Dompe and Mahara, while the highest number of hospital admissions is from Negombo, Wattala, and Kelaniya.
According to District Health Director Dr. Indika Wanninayake, 541 patients have been identified in May. Among them are 34 children. The majority are being treated at Government and private hospitals in Negombo and Ragama.
“Health authorities have checked 60,990 places this month. Over 1,200 places have been breeding mosquitoes and legal action has been taken against 522 premises and 1,412 red notices have been issued,” he said.
Twenty-five percent of breeding sites are factories, while 12% are places of worship, 9% are tuition classes and 8% schools, Dr. Wanninayake said.
“Factories and construction sites can be major breeding sites if not cleaned and maintained. Similarly, lodgings, quarters, and tuition classes carry the risk,” said Dr. Nimalka Pannilahetti, of the Health Ministry’s Dengue Control Unit.
She said as the mosquito can harbour the dengue virus for about a week, there is a possibility of clusters occurring.
“If there is a dengue patient, the neighbours, especially if living in apartments, hostels and housing units should be extra vigilant,” she warned.
In Colombo District this week, more patients were recorded from Pitakotte/Nawala, Nugegoda, Kolonnawa, Piliyandala, Dehiwala, Kaduwela, Moratuwa MC, Homagama, Hanwella/Avissawella, Battaramulla, Ratmalana, Maharagama, Colombo MC and Gothatuwa areas.
The number of infected people is increasing in Ingiriya, Panadura, Beruwala and Horana in the Kalutara District, and Galle MC.
Yatinuwara, Kandy MC, Talatuoya (Pathahewaheta), Poojapitiya, Gampola (Udapalatha), Gangawatakorale (university park) in Kandy District have reported a high number of patients this week.
Pannala and Kurunegala MC in Kurunegala and Rambukkana, Yatiyantota, Kegalle, Dehiowita and Mawanella in Kegalle district, Eheliyagoda in Ratnapura district are becoming dengue hot spots.
There is an alarmingly high incidence of dengue in Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts as well.
A large number of patients had been reported in Trincomalee, Uppuvelli and Kuchchaveli in Trincomalee district and Koralaipattu (central), Eravur, Kattankudy, Chenkaladi and Batticaloa.
In Point Pedro and Karaveddy in Jaffna District and Akkaraipattu in Kalmunai, there has been a resurgence.
“While households will receive initial warnings, those maintaining bigger breeding sites such as neglected construction sites, factories, and grounds will be dealt with severely through legal actions, and spot fines for repeat offenders,” Dr. Pannilahetti said.
(Additional reporting by Gampaha
correspondent Thilakaratne Dissanayake)
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