by Dasun Edirisinghe
The National Dengue Eradication Unit (NDEU) of the Health Ministry yesterday warned that there would be dengue outbreak with current rainy weather.
Director of the NDEU Dr. Ajith Batuwanthudawa said that they had identified 26 areas countrywide including Colombo as high risk where the disease could spread rapidly. The programmes to educate the public on dengue had already been carried out in those areas, he said.
So far this year, more than 20,000 dengue patients have been reported along with 135 deaths from the disease.
There was a decreasing incidence of the disease, but it was revived with current rains, Dr. Batuwanthudawa said.
Health Ministry spokesman W. M. D. Wanninayake said that Northern and Eastern Provinces were high risk areas with the North East monsoon setting in.
He said that the Ministry had summoned health authorities of those two provinces to the Vavuniya General Hospital today to discuss precautions to prevent the disease.
Wanninayake said that the ministry expected to increase diagnosing and laboratory facilities to instantly identify the disease among fever patients while making aware people on the need to eradicate mosquito breeding places in their homes in the North and East.
The ministry also expects to launch a dengue eradication week within the next two months, he said.
Meanwhile, Meteorological Department said the current weather conditions would continue for two more weeks as the inter monsoon conditions had become activated.
Meteorologist Meryll Mendis told The Island that the North East Monsoon would be expected in the latter part of next month.
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