Dengue expected to rise in July

Colombo MC on anti-dengue programme again: tri-forces and environmental authorities in assistance

A special programme will be launched on the 4th, 5th and 6th of June by the Colombo Municipality in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to address the dengue issue, Colombo Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni said yesterday.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror he said that four hundred personnel will be deployed to inspect sites that may provide an environment conducive to the spread of the disease.

“Apart from municipal employees, personnel of the tri-forces and environmental authorities would assist us in the programme. This year around 1200 suspected cases of dengue were reported from Colombo although only eighty per cent were confirmed as afflicted with dengue,” Dr. Wijayamuni said.

Dr. Wijayamuni added that the municipality would strive to bring down the incidence of dengue that peaks in July.

The Public Health Inspectors’ Union Secretary Senarath Bandara said that the union has also worked diligently to eradicate dengue.

He said that they receive reports of dengue cases from different parts of the country largely from the Western Province. This also includes Kandy and Kurunegala areas. He said that once mosquito breeding locations are found, they are subjected to fogging.

According to statistics at the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health, the total number of dengue cases reported during the past five months amounted to 14 479. The highest number, 6343 was recorded during the 4th week of January 2015.

According to an update at the Epidemiology Unit, approximately 47.09% of dengue cases were reported from the Western Province.