BE VIGILANT OF Dengue virus:cmc

The Colombo Municipality yesterday requested residents to be cautious of the dengue virus as the mosquito density in the city had increased recently.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Colombo Municipality Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Ruwan Wijeymuni said the number of dengue patients had been at an all time low during the last two weeks of September.

However, the recent weather had resulted in an increase in the density of the mosquito population.

The Health Ministry and the National Dengue Control Unit too have taken measures to combat an increase in the virus. Media reports stated that the Unit had been instructed to continue and amplify measures that were already in place to combat the virus.

Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne had notified the Unit to launch dengue control programmes swiftly in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, North Western and Northern Provinces.

Meanwhile, statistics from the Epidemiology Unit stated that 158,024 dengue patients had been reported during the year so far, with 43.31 percent of the patients reported from the Western Province. The highest number of dengue patients was reported in July at 40,602 patients.

Statistics also showed that 30,803 patients had been reported from Colombo District so far, 28,408 from Gampaha District and 9,230 patients from Kalutara. Only 4,900 cases of dengue was reported from Colombo City, while the remaining 25,903 patients were reported from other parts of the

Districts.