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Sri Lanka: 2017 Dengue

IDH hits capacity; Dengue patients to be transferred to alternative hospitals
June 15, 2017 02:30 pm


By Ayshwarya Yapa
The Ministry of Health has taken measures to transfer Dengue patients to other hospitals, as the Angoda Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) has reportedly hit capacity owing to the influx of Dengue patients.

Accordingly, Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne has instructed officials to implement a programme enabling the transfer of patients from IDH to the Colombo-North Teaching Hospital as well as other hospitals in Thalangama, Wethara and Piliyandala.

An estimated 450 patients are currently reported to be receiving treatment for Dengue at IDH, the majority of them being from regions outside of the Western Province.
...
http://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=41329
 
A dengue control programme to be held on June 15, 16 in 21 districts

Friday, June 16, 2017 - 01:00

Nadira Gunatilleke
Health Ministry appeals for countrywide cleaning of homes, schools and offices:

The Health Ministry appeals to the public to use mosquito nets whenever they sleep and apply mosquito repellents at home, school and office. Every Friday from 9.30 am to 10. 30 am, the entire country should clean up their homes, schools, offices and all the other state and private institutions, Acting Director General of Health Services Dr. J.M.W. Jayasundara Bandara said.

According to Dr. Bandara, a total of 61,844 dengue patients and around 160 dengue deaths had been reported from all parts of the country during this year up to June 12.
...
http://dailynews.lk/2017/06/16/local/119112/dengue-control-programme-be-held-june-15-16-21-districts

* Sri Lanka begins one-hour a week dengue prevention program as the disease reaches epidemic level
Thu, Jun 15, 2017, 09:08 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.


June 15, Colombo: Presidential Task Force on Prevention of Dengue and the Ministry of Health have declared an hour every week for cleaning of houses, public institutions, and private company premises.

The program will be implemented from 9.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. every Friday, the Government Information Department said.
...
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_17A/Jun15_1497541081CH.php

* New dengue treatment units set up in several hospitals
Fri, Jun 16, 2017, 08:27 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.


June 16, Colombo: As the Infectious Disease Hospital is full with dengue patients the Health Ministry has taken steps to establish dengue treatment units at several hospitals, the Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said.

...

Currently, there are over 450 dengue patients receiving treatment at the IDH and the Ministry has made arrangements to immediately purchase 200 more beds to the hospital, the Minister said.

Dengue Fever is fast spreading in Sri Lanka this year reaching an epidemic level. According to the epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry, so far this year, 62,857 suspected dengue cases and 177 Deaths have been reported from all over the island. Approximately 43 percent of dengue cases were reported from the Western province.
...
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_17A/Jun16_1497581850CH.php
 
Updated to June 16. 4,227 new cases in 10 days.

http://www.epid.gov.lk/web/index.php...d=448&lang=en#

Jan: 10,468 (-) (Highest January ever)
Feb: 8,500 (-) (Highest February ever)
Mar: 13,446 (+2) (Highest March ever)
Apr: 12,378 (+3) (Highest April ever)
May: 14,344 (+576) (Highest May ever)
June: 4,851 (+3,648)

Total: 63,987 (already more than any full year this decade)

The Epidemiology Unit no longer reports fatalities. Official %cfr over the past few years has decreased from 0.65% in 2010 to 0.61% in 2011 to 0.41% in 2012 to 0.28% in 2013 to 0.21% in 2014 to 0.18% in 2015 and a preliminary 0.14% in 2016. This would allow an estimate of between 89 and 415 fatal cases so far in 2017, with the official figure on the lower side of this estimate. 177 fatalities from 62,857 cases (cfr 0.28%) have been reported in the media to June 16.

Comparison to Previous Years
2016: 19,731 cases to June 24 (media 24 fatalities to June 16)
2015: 15,123 cases to June 11 (media 26 fatalities to June 6)
2014: 13,556 cases to June 12 (media 39 fatalities to June 1)
2013: 14,544 cases to June 13 (media 50 fatalities to June 21)
2012: 12,165 cases, 65 fatalities to June 15
2011: 7,612 cases, 66 fatalities to June 13
 
Untitled.webp
...
http://www.hirunews.lk/163827/dengu...to-national-hospital-daily-115-share-100-beds
 
Essential tests for Dengue within 30 minutes: SMLS
2017-06-18 23:03:19 1 3855


Following a request made by the President Maithripala Sirisena during a discussion held on Saturday (17) Laboratory Officers have initiated a programme where most essential tests for dengue patients such as Full Blood Count (FBC), Dengue Antigen or Antibody tests will be carried out within a very short period of time in order to make sure that the ever increasing number of dengue patients get treated on time. This programme will come into effect from Wednesday (21) a statement issued by the Sri Lanka Society for Medical Laboratory Science (SMLS) today said.

...

He said previously FBC test was performed after 3 days where they mainly check the platelet count of the patient as the platelets gradually decrease, however, during the recent outbreak in most cases Laboratory Officers identified the platelet count descends rapidly within two days.
...

- See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/E...minutes-SMLS-131120.html#sthash.WlYIxvAY.dpuf


J?pura Hospital filled with dengue patients
2017-06-19 16:05:33 0 74


The Director of the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital today said the hospital has stopped admitting dengue patients for the time being due to the lack of bed spaces in the ward.

Dr. Susitha Senaratne said the hospital has the capacity to treat 460 fever patients including dengue patients and as of now all beds are occupied.
...
- See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/J...gue-patients-131182.html#sthash.f9BqnDWW.dpuf

Dengue national disaster: 200 deaths, 63,987 cases this year

The number of dengue deaths has risen to 200 within six months, with the number of cases rising to 63,987 by yesterday, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said. He told a news conference yesterday that the dengue epidemic had become a national disaster and with the recent floods in the island the number was likely to increase.
...
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170618/ne...-200-deaths-63987-cases-this-year-245825.html


* Sri Lankan President assures to meet the needs of the Infectious Disease Hospital
Sun, Jun 18, 2017, 09:14 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.


June 18, Colombo Sri Lankan President: President Maithripala Sirisena has assured to take immediate measures complete the requirements of the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Angoda.
...
The congestion at the hospital due to the admission of large number of Dengue patients was alleviated somewhat after sending some patients to the hospitals in Thalangama, Vethara and Piliyandala with required facilities.
...
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_17A/Jun18_1497800649CH.php

Pvt. hospital charges for Dengue blood tests limited
2017-06-19

The charges for blood tests at private hospitals pertaining to dengue fever will be limited to 250 rupees from today onwards.

Furthermore charges for secondary stage Dengue tests will be limited to 1,000 rupees.
...
https://www.newsradio.lk/2017/06/19/pvt-hospital-charges-dengue-blood-tests-limited/
 
Private hospitals also full for Dengue

Wednesday, June 21, 2017 - 01:00

Sam Bresnick
Private hospitals are also buckling under the burden of the ongoing dengue epidemic.The Durdans, Asiri Medical, and Nawaloka hospitals are struggling to admit dengue patients, due to the recent surge.

Durdans Hospital Colombo is full and no longer admitting new patients suffering from dengue, the Daily News learns.
...
http://dailynews.lk/2017/06/21/local/119588/private-hospitals-also-full-dengue
 
Updated to June 23. 5,393 new cases in 7 days.

http://www.epid.gov.lk/web/index.php...d=448&lang=en#

Jan: 10,468 (-) (Highest January ever)
Feb: 8,500 (-) (Highest February ever)
Mar: 13,446 (-) (Highest March ever)
Apr: 12,408 (+30) (Highest April ever)
May: 14,976 (+632) (Highest May ever)
June: 9,582 (+4,731) (Highest June ever)

Total: 69,380 (already more than any full year this decade)

The Epidemiology Unit no longer reports fatalities. Official %cfr over the past few years has decreased from 0.65% in 2010 to 0.61% in 2011 to 0.41% in 2012 to 0.28% in 2013 to 0.21% in 2014 to 0.18% in 2015 and a preliminary 0.14% in 2016. This would allow an estimate of between 97 and 450 fatal cases so far in 2017. 200 fatalities from 63,987 cases (cfr 0.31%) have been reported in the media to June 18.

Comparison to Previous Years
2016: 19,731 cases to June 24 (media 24 fatalities to June 16)
2015: 15,949 cases to June 26 (media 26 fatalities to June 6)
2014: 15,775 cases to June 23 (media 39 fatalities to June 1)
2013: 15,478 cases to June 24 (media 50 fatalities to June 21)
2012: 12,336 cases, 75 fatalities to June 20
2011: 9,136 cases, 73 fatalities to June 24
 
War footing against dengue

By Kumudini Hettiarachchi and Shaadya Ismail
View(s): 98

Technical Head and team gears up to defeat deadly epidemic
Parallel top-down & bottom-up approaches
Help us ? urgent plea to public
We will try our level best to bring the dengue epidemic under control ? Give us three months to reduce the numbers affected by illness and those dying, as well as to put in a strong prevention programme.

This is the pledge by Consultant Epidemiologist Dr. Hasitha Tissera who took up the leadership of the National Dengue Control Unit of the Health Ministry this week, becoming the ?technical? head to run it as the country has slithered deep into an abyss of illness and death due to dengue.


IDH overcrowded with dengue patients. Pic by Indika Handuwala

From January to June 22, this year, 210 people have died of dengue with the illness affecting nearly 70,000. The Colombo district is the worst affected with more than 100 deaths and around 15,000 being hit by dengue.
...
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170625/news/war-footing-against-dengue-246637.html
 
DENGUE TURNS DISASTROUS Hospitals suffer from chronic shortage of beds
2017-06-29 00:40:11
...
The National Hospital of Sri Lanka, where dengue patients are being accepted day after day, is also faced with the problem of patients outnumbering availability of beds.
...
[FONT=&quot]-Dr. Anil Jasinghe, the Deputy Director General On average, the hospital houses 375 dengue patients, out of which, 75 are in the latent stage. ?We have identified and set apart some HDUs in all wards. There are 15 wards and 8 beds in each ward which are set aside for HDU patients. That?s 120 beds in total. Out of these 120 beds, 2 beds in each ward are equipped with a monitor, syringe pump etc; it contributes to 30 beds in total. We are in the process of equipping the ward with 2 more beds in order to increase the total number to 60 beds.? [/FONT]
...
http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/D...fer-from-chronic-shortage-of-beds-131849.html
 
Updated to June 30. 1,918 new cases in 7 days. (media reports have the number higher with "over 74,000" cases to June 30)

http://www.epid.gov.lk/web/index.php...d=448&lang=en#

Jan: 10,468 (-) (Highest January ever)
Feb: 8,500 (-) (Highest February ever)
Mar: 13,446 (-) (Highest March ever)
Apr: 12,408 (-) (Highest April ever)
May: 15,134 (+158) (Highest May ever)
June: 11,342 (+1,760) (Highest June ever)

Total: 71,298 (already more than any full year this decade)

The Epidemiology Unit no longer reports fatalities. Official %cfr over the past few years has decreased from 0.65% in 2010 to 0.61% in 2011 to 0.41% in 2012 to 0.28% in 2013 to 0.21% in 2014 to 0.18% in 2015 and a preliminary 0.14% in 2016. This would allow an estimate of between 99 and 463 fatal cases so far in 2017. 210 fatalities from 69,380 cases (cfr 0.30%) have been reported in the media to June 25, 213 fatalities reported on June 30.

Comparison to Previous Years
2016: 20,954 cases to July 1 (media 31 fatalities to June 26)
2015: 16,293 cases to July 3 (media 26 fatalities to June 6)
2014: 18,339 cases to July 2 (media 50 fatalities to July 1)
2013: 116,526 cases to July 4 (media 50 fatalities to June 21)
2012: 12,336 cases, 75 fatalities to June 20
2011: 10,010 cases, 77 fatalities to July 1
 
Sri Lanka deploys troops to tackle dengue crisis
Posted on 2 July 2017 - 04:02pm

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka deployed hundreds of soldiers to destroy mosquito breeding grounds as the country battles the spread of deadly dengue fever that has killed a record 215 people this year, officials said Sunday.

Humid monsoon weather, stagnant water from recent flooding, as well as mounting piles of rotting garbage accumulating in the capital, have combined to create abundant areas for mosquitoes to multiply.

This has caused rates of dengue, a tropical disease that is spread by mosquitoes, to surge to over 71,000 people infected in the first six months of this year, a record figure that far surpasses last year's total of 55,000.
...
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/2017/07/02/sri-lanka-deploys-troops-tackle-dengue-crisis
 
Sri Lanka?s worst-ever dengue outbreak kills 225
The number of infections nationwide is already 38 per cent higher than last year, when 55,150 people were diagnosed with dengue and 97 died, according to the Health Ministry.

By: AP | Colombo | Published:July 4, 2017 1:56 pm

Sri Lanka is suffering its worst-ever dengue outbreak, with the mosquito-borne virus killing 225 people and infecting more than 76,000 this year. Alarmed by the magnitude of the crisis, the government deployed 400 soldiers and police officers today to clear away rotting garbage, stagnant water pools and other potential mosquito-breeding grounds.
...
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/sri-lankas-worst-ever-dengue-outbreak-kills-225-4734771/
 
Dengue outbreak kills 227, death toll could yet increase
July 6, 2017 03:16 pm


-
A deadly outbreak of dengue fever has ravaged the island nation of Sri Lanka, killing at least 227 people and infecting tens of thousands.

Experts worry the death toll could yet increase, as the country?s health infrastructure struggles to cope with the virus? rapid spread.

The government has deployed 450 troops in a bid to help combat the spread of the disease.
...
http://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=41763
 
GMOA accuses Health Ministry of hiding real dengue stats

Friday, July 7, 2017 - 01:00

Nadira Gunatilleke
The Health Ministry is hiding the real statistics of dengue. It says 80,000 dengue patients and 227 deaths had been reported from countrywide, but some other statistics say that the total number of dengue patients reported so far is over 86,000 with over 300 deaths.

The Government Medical Officers? Association (GMOA) requested an appointment from the President for a discussion, GMOA Secretary Dr.Haritha Aluthge said.

Addressing a press conference at the GMOA Head Quarters in Colombo yesterday he said at present 32 out every 10,000 dengue patients die. Dengue has become a real killer in Sri Lanka. There is no assurance that the total number of dengue patients will not exceed 150,000 by the end of December.
...
http://dailynews.lk/2017/07/07/local/121249/gmoa-accuses-health-ministry-hiding-real-dengue-stats
 
Updated to July 7. 9,434 new cases in 7 days.

http://www.epid.gov.lk/web/index.php...d=448&lang=en#

Jan: 10,927 (+459) (Highest January ever)
Feb: 8,722 (+222) (Highest February ever)
Mar: 13,539 (+93) (Highest March ever)
Apr: 12,498 (+90) (Highest April ever)
May: 15,251 (+117) (Highest May ever)
June: 19,795 (+8,453) (Highest single month on record)

Total: 80,732 (already more than any full year this decade)

The Epidemiology Unit no longer reports fatalities. Official %cfr over the past few years has decreased from 0.65% in 2010 to 0.61% in 2011 to 0.41% in 2012 to 0.28% in 2013 to 0.21% in 2014 to 0.18% in 2015 and a preliminary 0.14% in 2016. This would allow an estimate of between 113 and 524 fatal cases so far in 2017. 227 fatalities from 80,732 cases (cfr 0.28%) have been reported in the media to July 7.

Comparison to Previous Years
2016: 22,799 cases to July 8 (media 31 fatalities to June 26)
2015: 16,611 cases to July 9 (media 26 fatalities to June 6)
2014: 20,074 cases to July 9 (media 50 fatalities to July 1)
2013: 16,936 cases to July 10 (media 50 fatalities to June 21)
2012: 14,423 cases to July 17; (media 85 fatalities to July 12)
2011: 11,110 cases, 82 fatalities to July 8
 
Dengue Outbreak: WHO team in Sri Lanka

Monday, July 10, 2017 - 14:15
Nadira Gunatilleke



A team from the World Health Organisation (WHO) visited Sri Lanka recently on the invitation extended by Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne to find a strategy to control the dengue outbreak in Sri Lanka.

A total of 80,732 dengue patients and 245 dengue deaths have been reported from all parts of the country by July 7, the Health ministry spokesman said.
...
http://dailynews.lk/2017/07/10/local/121469/dengue-outbreak-who-team-sri-lanka
 
Dengue still at manageable level

Tuesday, July 11, 2017 - 01:00
Print Edition
Nadira Gunatilleke
?The dengue death rate is below 0.3 percent and this is a very satisfactory level. We expect to keep the rate at 0.2. percent.

?We will work hard to lower it as much as possible but passing the ball to each other will not solve the dengue issue in Sri Lanka,? Acting Director General of Health Services Dr. J. M. W.Jayasundara Bandara said.

Addressing a press conference held at the Health Education Bureau in Colombo yesterday, he said that the number of dengue deaths(245) is correct and based on scientific facts but the number of dengue patients(80,732) may not be accurate because it is possible to erroneously identify some as dengue patients.
...
http://dailynews.lk/2017/07/11/local/121602/dengue-still-manageable-level

Sri Lanka announces tax to curb dengue
Frances BulathsinghalaJuly 11, 2017
...

The government plans to charge a two per cent tax on the total value of the abandoned land from its owners in order to curb the spread of the mosquito-borne disease, Chief Minister of the Western Province Isuru Dewapriya said.
...
https://www.dawn.com/news/1344477/sri-lanka-announces-tax-to-curb-dengue
 
Updated to July 14. 10,133 new cases in 7 days.

http://www.epid.gov.lk/web/index.php...d=448&lang=en#

Jan: 10,927 (-) (Highest January ever)
Feb: 8,722 (-) (Highest February ever)
Mar: 13,539 (-) (Highest March ever)
Apr: 12,498 (-) (Highest April ever)
May: 15,833 (+582) (Highest May ever)
June: 22,478 (+2,683) (Highest single month on record)
July: 6,868 (+6,868)
Total: 90,865 (already more than any full year this decade)

The Epidemiology Unit no longer reports fatalities. Official %cfr over the past few years has decreased from 0.65% in 2010 to 0.61% in 2011 to 0.41% in 2012 to 0.28% in 2013 to 0.21% in 2014 to 0.18% in 2015 and a preliminary 0.14% in 2016. This would allow an estimate of between 127 and 590 fatal cases so far in 2017. 269 fatalities from 89,885 cases (cfr 0.30%) have been reported in the media to July 14.

Comparison to Previous Years
2016: 24,400 cases to July 15 (media 40 fatalities to July 8)
2015: 17,080 cases to July 17 (media 26 fatalities to June 6)
2014: 21,432 cases to July 16 (media 50 fatalities to July 1)
2013: 17,361 cases to July 15 (media 50 fatalities to June 21)
2012: 14,423 cases to July 17; (media 85 fatalities to July 12)
2011: 11,901 cases, 93 fatalities to July 15

Rajitha says SL has to battle dengue on its own
July 14, 2017, 10:11 pm

by Dilanthi Jayamanne
...
National Convenor for Dengue Control, Dr Hasitha Tissera said the number of dengue patients had reached almost 90,000 by the end of the second week of July. The dengue death toll had reached 269.

Fifty per cent of the dengue patients were between the ages of 15 and 45, 35 per cent of them were above 45 years while 15 per cent were children, he said.
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=168271

New mosquito species spreading dengue
2017-07-15 12:00:24 0 219


A new species of mosquito, ?Aedes Aegypti Type-2' which has developed resistance to fogging, BTI and other dengue control methods was the reason for the most number of dengue cases this year, Government Epidemiology Unit's Dengue Control Unit Director Dr. Hasitha Tissera said.

He said as of yesterday the number of patients had increased to 89,885 with 269 deaths.

Dr. Tissera told reporters that though there was a slight decrease in reported dengue cases countrywide, the mosquito density was on the rise with the sporadic rains.

He said 136 deaths and 37,981 dengue patients were from the Western Province with Southern Province reporting 24 deaths and 10,709 patients while Sabaragamuwa Province reported 27 deaths and 9,688 patients.
...
http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/New-mosquito-species-spreading-dengue--132868.html
 
Source: http://www.who.int/csr/don/19-july-2017-dengue-sri-lanka/en/

[h=1]Dengue fever ? Sri Lanka[/h] Disease Outbreak News
19 July 2017

From 1 January to 7 July 2017, the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health (MoH) Sri Lanka reported 80 732 dengue fever cases, including 215 deaths. This is a 4.3 fold higher than the average number of cases for the same period between 2010 and 2016, and the monthly number of cases exceeds the mean plus three standard deviations for each of the past six months. Based on sentinel site surveillance for the past seven years the expected peak months of May to July coincides with the south-western monsoon which commences in late April.
Approximately 43% of the dengue fever cases were reported from the Western Province and the most affected area with the highest number of reported cases is Colombo District (18 186) followed by Gampaha (12 121), Kurunegala (4889), Kalutara (4589), Batticaloa (3946), Ratnapura (3898), and Kandy (3853). Preliminary laboratory results have identified Dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2) as the circulating strain in this outbreak. Although all four DENV have been co-circulating in Sri Lanka for more than 30 years and DENV-2 has been infrequently detected since 2009.
The current dengue fever outbreak occurs in a context of massive heavy rains and flooding and is currently affecting 15 out of 25 districts in Sri Lanka where almost 600 000 people have been affected. Heavy monsoon rains, public failure to clear rain-soaked garbage, standing water pools and other potential breeding grounds for mosquito larvae attribute to the higher number of cases reported in urban and suburban areas.
[h=3]Public health response[/h] World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting the MoH Sri Lanka to ensure an efficient and comprehensive health response and the following response measures include:
  • Support from the military forces has been requested by the MoH to increase the number of beds as the health care facilities are overwhelmed. Three temporary wards in a hospital 38km north of Colombo have now been completed.
  • The MoH launched an emergency response including vector control activities that is also supported by the mobilization of defense forces. The army, police and civil defense forces have been mobilized to conduct house-to-house visits in the high-risk areas with health staff. In addition, they are involved in mobilizing the community for garbage disposal, cleaning of vector breeding sites, and in health education.
  • The Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO) has constituted a Task Force to guide the response.
  • WHO/ SEARO deployed an epidemiologist, an entomologist and two dengue management experts from the WHO Collaborating Center for case management of Dengue/Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, Thailand) and Ministry of Public health (MoPH) Thailand. The triage protocol was updated in June 2017 to assist with better management of the patients in the health facilities.
  • The WHO Sri Lanka country office has purchased 50 fogging machines to support vector control activities.
  • MOH and WHO have worked together to prepare a strategic and operational plan for intensive measures to control dengue outbreak in next few weeks.
[h=3]WHO risk assessment[/h] Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral infection caused by four dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4). Infection with one serotype provides long-term immunity to the homologous serotype but not to the other serotypes; secondary infections put people at greater risk for severe dengue fever and dengue shock syndrome.
Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are the vectors widely adapted to urban and suburban environments. Dengue fever is endemic in Sri Lanka, and occurs every year, usually soon after rainfall is optimal for mosquito breeding. However DENV-2 has been identified only in low numbers since 2009 and is reportedly over 50% of current specimens which have been serotyped.
The current dengue epidemic is likely to have repercussions on public health in Sri Lanka.
[h=3]WHO advice[/h] WHO promotes the strategic approach known as Integrated Vector Management (IVM) to control mosquito vectors, including those of dengue.
The proximity of mosquito vector breeding sites to human habitation is a significant risk factor for dengue virus infection.
Prevention and control relies on reducing the breeding of mosquitoes through source reduction (removal and modification of breeding sites) and reducing human?vector contact through adult control measures. Both control measures need to implemented simultaneously for effective control.
This can be achieved by reducing the number of artificial water containers that hold water (cement tanks for water storage, drums, used tyres, empty bottles, coconut shells, etc.) in and around the home and by using barriers such as insect screens, closed doors and windows, long clothing and use of insect repellents, household insecticide aerosol products, mosquito coils etc. and space spraying with insecticide can be deployed as an emergency measure. As protection from the Aedes mosquitoes (the primary vector for transmission), it is recommended to sleep (particularly young children, the sick or elderly) under mosquito bed nets, treated with or without insecticide.
WHO does not recommend that any general travel or trade restrictions be applied on Sri Lanka based on the information available for this event.


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