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Dengue on the rise: 1,836 dengue cases in November so far

15 Nov 2021

  • WP reports the highest due to population, mobility, congestion
BY Dinitha Rathnayake A total of over 24,160 dengue cases have been reported so far this year, according to National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) Community Physician Dr. Shilanthi Seneviratne. Speaking to The Morning, she said that 1,836 cases were reported by the end of the second week of November and that 826 of such cases were reported in the first week of the month. So far in November, 631 cases have been reported in the Colombo District, 430 in the Gampaha District, 183 in the Kalutara District, 97 each in the Kandy and Badulla Districts, 34 cases in the Ratnapura District, 38 in the Kegalle District, 112 in the Kurunegala District, 52 in the Galle District, and 29 in the Matara District, amongst others. Meanwhile, 210 cases were reported last year during the course of the second week of November while 239 cases were reported in the first week of November in 2020. Dr. Seneviratne said that most of the cases for this year have been reported from the Western Province (WP) due to population and mobility-related factors and the presence of slums and congested areas. According to her, a considerable number of cases were also being detected from the Kandy, Batticaloa, Badulla, Kegalle, Kurunegala, and Ratnapura Districts. Meanwhile, the NDCU has implemented a special dengue control programme aimed at preventing the situation from escalating to an epidemic stage in the backdrop of increasing dengue cases. This programme was implemented from 8 to 13 November in 59 selected high risk Medical Officer of Health (MOH) divisions in the Western and Eastern Provinces. “The programme was successful; however, there were certain days on which we couldn’t implement the programme due to bad weather. So, we are planning to cover up the days during the course of this week as well.” During this period, teams consisting of field staff of the MOH offices, the Police, the Armed Forces, and other volunteers will work to identify mosquito breeding grounds while protecting homes and related areas and to educate residents about the removal of such breeding sites. The public will be made aware of possible dengue breeding grounds in and around their homes and advice will be given on how to maintain an environment free of mosquito breeding. Meanwhile, Dr. Seneviratne said not to delay seeking treatment, since it is a great concern due to fears of Covid-19. “Some try to avoid the hospitals due to the current Covid-19 situation. But we advise the public to have a full blood count (FBC) test if you are suffering from fever for more than two days. It could be Covid-19 or dengue. The best thing is to have an antigen test or a FBC.” Thus, Dr. Seneviratne urged people to seek medical advice as early as possible and she invited people to allocate time to destroy all mosquito breeding places surrounding their neighbourhood as it had also become one of the major concerns.


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