Four dengue deaths in two
By Chrishanthi Christopher-
March 12, 2014
Parents with children under five years are advised by the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), to keep their premises and compounds clean to prevent the dengue mosquito from breeding.
Chief Medical Officer, CMC, Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam, speaking to Ceylon Today, said with four deaths of children below five years being reported within a span of two months, it was important that residents keep their premises very clean to protect the children from being stung by the aedes mosquito.
According to Dr. Kariyawasam, around 650 people had been identified in hospitals in the city of Colombo as being afflicted with the dengue flu this year. Of this number, 60% are .reportedly children under five years. "Among the other age groups, only 8% of children had been afflicted with the fever. In the last two months alone, four deaths had been reported of which three were those below five years," he said.
According to the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health, during the last two months, 5,281 suspected dengue cases had been reported from all over the island. Sources said that of this number, 61.31% of the cases were from the Western Province. The highest number of dengue cases had been reported during the second week of January.
However Dr. Kariyawasam said that, the spread of the disease is on the decline with a considerable drop in themonth of February compared to January. "But we can expect the number to shoot up with the monsoon rains in May," he said.
With this week declared as the Dengue Prevention week by the Health Ministry, he said he hopes to continue with the cleaning up programme and the inspection of houses around Colombo. The densely populated areas of Mattakuliya, Grandpass, Slave Island, Dematagoda, Kirulapone, Wellawatte and Cinnamon Gardens, are said to be veritable breeding grounds for the dengue mosquitoes, he further said.
The situation warrants regular removal of possible mosquito breeding sites from the environment. It is also important to seek medical attention in the event the fever continues for three days.
By Chrishanthi Christopher-
March 12, 2014
Parents with children under five years are advised by the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), to keep their premises and compounds clean to prevent the dengue mosquito from breeding.
Chief Medical Officer, CMC, Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam, speaking to Ceylon Today, said with four deaths of children below five years being reported within a span of two months, it was important that residents keep their premises very clean to protect the children from being stung by the aedes mosquito.
According to Dr. Kariyawasam, around 650 people had been identified in hospitals in the city of Colombo as being afflicted with the dengue flu this year. Of this number, 60% are .reportedly children under five years. "Among the other age groups, only 8% of children had been afflicted with the fever. In the last two months alone, four deaths had been reported of which three were those below five years," he said.
According to the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health, during the last two months, 5,281 suspected dengue cases had been reported from all over the island. Sources said that of this number, 61.31% of the cases were from the Western Province. The highest number of dengue cases had been reported during the second week of January.
However Dr. Kariyawasam said that, the spread of the disease is on the decline with a considerable drop in themonth of February compared to January. "But we can expect the number to shoot up with the monsoon rains in May," he said.
With this week declared as the Dengue Prevention week by the Health Ministry, he said he hopes to continue with the cleaning up programme and the inspection of houses around Colombo. The densely populated areas of Mattakuliya, Grandpass, Slave Island, Dematagoda, Kirulapone, Wellawatte and Cinnamon Gardens, are said to be veritable breeding grounds for the dengue mosquitoes, he further said.
The situation warrants regular removal of possible mosquito breeding sites from the environment. It is also important to seek medical attention in the event the fever continues for three days.
