Sri Lanka: 2009 Dengue- 33,081 cases; 334 deaths

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Re: Sri Lanka: Dengue- 249 deaths; 25,235 cases

Source: http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Se...px?ARTID=61293

USE OF BACTERIA IN DENGUE WAR


By Supun Dias

Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition Nimal Siripala De Silva said yesterday that BTI bacteria samples will be imported from Cuba soon and together with the locally produced bacteria by the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) trials will begin.

The Minister also stated that after trials the prices will be compared and considering the effectiveness and the demand of the country the ministry will decide on what will be used to control the breeding of the dengue mosquito.

The public have been sufficiently educated and they must continue to dispose solid waste, he said. Aerial spraying of the bacteria will be decided after a team from the Sri Lanka Air Force study the process in Cuba.

A panel of experts will decide the places that should be sprayed from the air as it will lead to a public debate if sprayed in populated areas, the Minister said.

Inter sectorial collaboration will be strengthened and also enforced by law. Fifty entomological assistants have been trained to combat dengue breeding by assisting Public Health Inspectors (PHI), the Minister said.

The Cuban expert Dr. Aramis Martinez Arias said that using of helicopters is more effective than using aircraft. They also urged the government to strengthen the implementation of dengue preventing laws to prevent breeding places within public and private sector premises.

The Cuban experts also handed over a special report which contains the basic methods that should be practiced to prevent breeding of the dengue mosquito.

The BTI bacteria are used as a larvicide for Aedes mosquito control. Aedes is the target species and the bacteria are environment friendly.

The ITI developed the bacteria locally by using the knowledge of local experts on the invitation of a firm called Bio Power Lanka Ltd.

The Cuban experts were asked to prepare a special report on preventing dengue mosquito breeding, on the invitation extended by the government of Sri Lanka.

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Re: Sri Lanka: Dengue- 253 deaths; 25,771 cases

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...t_12051488.htm

Dengue fever kills 253 in Sri Lanka
www.chinaview.cn 2009-09-14 19:19:15

COLOMBO, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Dengue fever in Sri Lanka has risen to 253 so far, the country's Epidemiological Unit of the Health Ministry said Monday.

The Epidemiological Unit said in its latest statistics that of the 25,771 cases, the highest number of patients were reported from June, totaling 7,048. It is followed by July with 6,872 cases being reported.

This represents a sharp increase as 4,156 Dengue cases and 85 deaths were reported for the whole year of 2008.

However, the number of Dengue cases dropped to 3,011 in August as the government took measures to control the spread of the disease.

Health officials said the majority of this year's cases have been reported from the areas of Kandy, Kegalle, Colombo and Gampaha.

The rapid rise in the level of the epidemic has forced the health authorities to carry out extensive public awareness campaign to eradicate the mosquito based epidemic.

Households have been warned to keep the environment free of mosquitoes. Those who allow the mosquitoes to breed by allowing stagnating water will face prosecution with a special hotline being made available for public information.

The World Health Organization says some 2.5 billion people, two-fifths of the world's population, are now at risk from Dengue. It estimates there may be 50 million cases of dengue infection worldwide every year.

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Re: Sri Lanka: Dengue- 253 deaths; 25,771 cases

Source: http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/09/22/news27.asp

Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Thai team to conduct countrywide study on dengue

Nadira Gunatilleke

A special team of health professionals from Thailand led by Prof. (Ms.) Siri Pen is now in Sri Lanka to investigate the factors which led dengue to assume epidemic proportions in Sri Lanka this year causing a large number of deaths. Prof. Pen is the former President of the WHO Epidemiology Committee, a Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.

He said that the team will conduct a countrywide study to find out why dengue became an epidemic killing over 435 persons so far.

The team will be focused on three districts, Colombo, Kandy and Galle. They will hold discussions and seminars for specialist doctors from main hospitals in Colombo, Kalutara, Gampaha, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Matale, Galle, Hambantota and Matara.

Around 50 specialist doctors will take part in each program. The National Dengue Week declared by the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry is now in progress and it will conclude on September 27. The Ministry will carry out countrywide awareness programs and cleaning campaigns. The program will commence from Pettah Bus Stand today (22nd) at 10.00 am with the pasting stickers on buses. Around 500 members from Civil Defence Committees and 300 police officers will take part in this program.

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Re: Sri Lanka: Dengue- 253 deaths; 25,771 cases

Source: http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/10/06/news12.asp

Tuesday, 6 October 2009

Three dengue cases reported in Colombo last week

Shirley Wijesinghe

Three dengue cases have been reported from Colombo 3 and 7 within the Municipal city limit during last week, a CMC Medical Health Department official told the Daily News yesterday.

Dengue seems to raise itself usually after the rainy season and it can further develop later this year, he said.

The official said that the CMC has already launched an anti-dengue program after holding a meeting with school principals recently. The principals were asked to clean their school premises and at least 200 metres of surrounding areas additionally.

Principals were strictly advised not to keep landscaping structures including water retaining broad leaf plants in school premises and dark locations inside the buildings, he said.

He also said that most of the semi constructed buildings specially with roofing of naked slabs have been found to be good substrate for mosquito breeding.

The CMC also had taken a decision to train its health officers to adopt Cuban biological control methods for the eradication of dengue, CMC sources revealed.

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Re: Sri Lanka: Dengue- 253 deaths; 25,771 cases

Source: http://www.colombopage.com/archive_0...4937767CH.html

Sri Lanka to use Cuban Bti bacteria as a model program to control mosquito breeding
Wed, Oct 7, 2009, 11:19 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Oct 07, Colombo: The Health Ministry of Sri Lanka has decided to use the lavicide Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis (BTI) bacteria imported from Cuba to control the fast spreading mosquito-born dengue disease in selected areas of the central hill country as a model program.

Dr. Palitha Maheepala, the Deputy Director General of the Public Health Unit of the Ministry said they are waiting for the approval of the Cabinet to commence the program.

The Ministry is to spend nearly Rs. 190 million for this program in its first year.

Under this model program the bacteria will be used in the cities of Kandy, Akurana and Gampola in Central Province.

The Health Ministry is planning to spread the bacteria for the Akurana city by using helicopters, Dr. Maheepala added. Liquid Bti is applied directly to the water in which the mosquito larvae are developing.

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Re: Sri Lanka: Dengue- 253 deaths; 25,771 cases

Source: http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/10/08/news22.asp

Thursday, 8 October 2009
Stronger treatment system for dengue

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has decided to implement several recommendations made by local and foreign expert committees to control dengue in Sri Lanka. The cabinet memorandum containing these recommendations has already been submitted by Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, Public Health, Deputy Director Dr. Palitha Maheepala said.

Addressing a press briefing held at the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry yesterday, he said that BTI will be sprayed from the air using helicopters at a cost of Rs.188.149 million covering 62187 houses at Gampola, Akurana and Kandy. Domestic application will be used for some areas. The estimate is for a period of one year. BTI will be used in Sri Lanka as a complimentary measure to control dengue.

According to Dr. Maheepala, five other recommendations are on the Cabinet Paper. They are strengthening treatment system available for dengue patients with the assistance of Singapore and Thailand, providing modern medical equipment to hospitals to carry out diagnosis, streamlining solid waste disposal, educating heads of institutions and departments on eradicating mosquito breeding sites, fogging in order to avoid dengue fever developing into an epidemic and destroying mosquito breeding sites continuously. The Ministry has already supplied required medical equipment to 35 hospitals and the equipment will be supplied to another 50 hospitals shortly.

Acording to WHO Representative to Sri Lanka Dr. Firdos Mehta there are 16 institutions in Sri Lanka that have the responsibility for controlling dengue and not to one or two institutions or a group of individuals. Public contribution plays the main role in eradicating dengue, he added. Sri Lanka will be able to control dengue when the next rainy season comes, he added.

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Re: Sri Lanka: Dengue- 254 deaths

Source: http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/10/16/news25.asp


Friday, 16 October 2009
Girl dies of dengue in Kandy

During current year 3,278 dengue cases reported

Indika POLKOTUWA and Gamini CHANDRASENA

A schoolgirl of Maha Maya Girls School, Kandy who was admitted to the Kandy General Hospital with high fever died yesterday.

D.K.D. Aresha from Kahalla, Katugastota, a seven-year-old girl had suffered an attack of dengue.

During the current year 3,278 dengue cases were reported in the Kandy district and 33 had succumbed to the disease, Central Province Director of Health Services Dr. Shanthi Samarasinghe said.

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Re: Sri Lanka: Dengue- 254 deaths

Source: http://www.colombopage.com/archive_0...8035007KA.html

Dengue figures increased in several districts; Sri Lanka health Ministry warns public
Thu, Nov 12, 2009, 07:40 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Nov 12, Colombo: According to recent statistics it has been revealed that the number of dengue patients in the Colombo, Gampaha, Matale and Vavuniya districts has increased once again in the month of October, compare to the September figures, Dengue Control Unit Consultant Community Physician Dr. Nimalka Pannilahetti said.

The Health Ministry's statistics indicate that, there were 196 cases reported from the Colombo district in September and in October it was 360. Form Gampaha 286 cases reported in September and in October it was 340. There were 106 cases reported in September in Matale and 251 cases in October. In September there were 45 cases in Vavuniya and in October it was 98.

According to the figures, number of dengue patients has become doubled in some districts.

"These days heavy rains are lashing many parts of the country. As a result we see the number of dengue cases rapidly growing mainly in Colombo, Gampaha and Matale districts. Not only rains, carelessness in the part of people and garbage problem, too are contributory factors," Dr. Pannilahetti said.

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Re: Sri Lanka: Dengue- 254 deaths

Source: http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/11/25/news04.asp

Dengue has affected 75 percent of Colombo?s children

Nadira Gunatilleke

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has discovered that 75 percent of the children below the age of 12 living in Colombo city limits have been infected with the dengue virus and there is a possibility of those with weak immune systems, being vulnerable to the disease, a Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.

He said it was discovered during a recent study by the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry. The dengue fever can spread again with the monsoon rains. Therefore the public should be vigilant. The public and provincial authorities should take steps to destroy mosquito breeding places on a regular basis to prevent another dengue outbreak.

According to the spokesman the same study had shown that in 2009 the number of dengue cases increased up to 30,000 and 280 deaths due to the epigenetic changes of the Dengue Genotype 01. The other main factors which contributed to the outbreak were the negligence of the public and haphazard system of solid waste management of the local government bodies.

In 2004 the dengue outbreak was limited to main cities but this year it hit all areas including outstations. This condition is very similar to the situation faced by Singapore.

Dengue outbreak

* 30,000 cases and 280 deaths

* Negligence of the public

* Haphazard system of solid waste management

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Re: Sri Lanka: Dengue- 289 deaths

Source: http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Se...px?ARTID=70983

Two deaths: IUSF appeals to health authorities



Protect students from fast spreading dengue fever

By Sandun A. Jayasekera

The Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) yesterday appealed to the health and higher education authorities to take immediate steps to protect university students from dengue fever as a large number of undergraduates have fallen victims to the fast spreading flu with two deaths reported up to now.

IUSF convener Udul Premaratne said a student of the Faculty of Aesthetic Studies had succumbed to Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever a few days back and another student of the Sabaragamuwa University died of the same complications.

Nearly 1,000 students from the Sabaragamuwa, Peradeniya and Sri Jayawardanapura Universities, Faculty of Aesthetic Studies and the Technical Colleges have already been infected with dengue, he said.

Meanwhile, Director Government Epidemiology Unit, Dr. Prabha Palihawadana said the public must be vigilant as there is a possibility of dengue spreading in the coming rainy season.

?The people must always be careful not to provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes. They must seek medical assistance at once if a family member complains of high fever for several days with body pain, red patches on the skin and vomiting,? she said.

There were 31,404 reported cases and 289 deaths from dengue by yesterday from all parts of the country.

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Re: Sri Lanka: Dengue- 289 deaths

Source: http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Se...px?ARTID=71371

Dengue on the rise as rains cease
Tuesday, December 22, 2009

With the cessation of rain, Dengue has again raised its ugly head and has claimed 13 lives in the Vavuniya district alone within the past two months, according to Health Ministry sources.

More than 650 people are thought to have contracted the disease and have been admitted to various hospitals in the district within this short period. Sources said that special arrangements have been made to arrest the spread of this dreaded disease in Vavuniya and a special medical team has also been dispatched to the district for the purpose.

Meanwhile a slight increase in the spread of Dengue in the Matale and Colombo districts too has been witnessed recently, according to the Ministry.

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Re: Sri Lanka: 2009 Dengue- 31,749 cases; 290 deaths

Source: http://www.island.lk/2009/12/23/news17.html

Dengue causes 290 deaths

by Dilanthi Jayamanne

The total number of dengue cases recorded since the beginning of the year stands at 31,749, with 290 deaths.

A spokesman for the Health Ministry said yesterday (22) that the highest number of deaths reported had been from Colombo, Gampaha, Kandy, Kurunegala, Ratnapura, and Kegalle. He said the number of dengue cases reported from the Vavuniya District from January to date was 750 while the number of dengue deaths reported was 13.

The Public Health Department of the Colombo Municipal Council said two dengue deaths had been reported in the city last week. One of them was of a child and the other, a nurse serving at the De Soyza Maternity Hospital. A spokesman for the PHD said the number of suspect dengue cases from the beginning of December to date was 160. "However, some of the cases that were referred to us were suffering from viral flu," he said.

The CMC would continue fogging to destroy mosquito breeding places. They would also purchase fogging machines at a cost of two million rupees.

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Re: Sri Lanka: 2009 Dengue- 31,749 cases; 290 deaths

Source: http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/12/24/news28.asp

Thursday, 24 December 2009

Dengue raising head in Colombo?

Around 180 cases reported

Shirley Wijesinghe

There has been a sharp increase in the reported number of dengue cases in Colombo city during December, Public Health Department Chief Medical Officer, Colombo Municipality Dr Pradeep Kariyawasam told the Daily News yesterday.

The total number of dengue victims reported from the area under the CMC is 185.

A majority of the cases were recorded from Pettah, Grandpass and Kochchikade of the district 2A of the CMC.

?This situation is serious compared to the last three months,? Dr. Kariyawasam stated.

The measures applied to control mosquitoes such as spraying chemicals and fumigating the locations where mosquitoes breed alone are not sufficient to control disease on a permanent basis.

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Re: Sri Lanka: 2009 Dengue- 31,749 cases; 290 deaths

Source: http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/12/29/news13.asp

Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Dengue warning in Colombo

Eight hundred and fifty confirmed dengue fever patients have been admitted to hospitals from the city alone with 13 deaths this year, Chief Medical Officer of Health, Colombo, Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam said.

?Therefore, it is important that we get rid of mosquito breeding sites soon,? he said.

Dr. Kariyawasam said the dengue fever epidemic this year continues unabated in Colombo especially in Colombo city?s central and northern areas.

Investigations conducted by the Public Health Department revealed that there is an increase of mosquito breeding places in and around the residences and institutions in the city. Roof gutters, water storage tanks, drains, ornamental plants, items found in improperly disposed garbage and other places in which rain water can collect are possible breeding sites, he said.

?Eliminate mosquito breeding places in your immediate environment and prevent the spread of dengue fever,? Dr. Kariyawasam said.

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Re: Sri Lanka: 2009 Dengue- 31,749 cases; 290 deaths

Source: http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Se...px?ARTID=72251

Thursday, December 31, 2009
HINI, Dengue fever on the increase in Colombo city
Colombo Central, the worst affected area

By Yohan Perera

The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) yesterday said there had been 7 HINI patients in the Colombo city this month.

Public Health Officer of the CMC Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam told the Daily Mirror these cases have been reported from Mattakkuliya, Kirillapone, Maligawatte and Dematagoda areas.

Five out of these cases were reported to be children under the age of three while the other two were over 20 years of age.

He said there had been 855 confirmed cases of dengue within the city this year.

Dr. Kariyawasam said there had been 1500 virus cases out of which 855 were confirmed having dengue. He said Colombo Central had been the worst affected area in the city.

The main reason for this was poor sanitary conditions in the city.

Dengue had killed 14 persons in the city during the year according to him. He said many of the city dewellers were not interested in keeping the common places clean.

The CMC has also filed action against 96 hotels during the year. However, Dr. Kariyawasam said most of the hotels were found to be clean during the festive season.

He said the owners might have cleaned up the mess as they were aware that the CMC usually carries out raids during this time of the year.