Health officials in Sri Lanka are reporting a significant drop in the number of reported dengue cases. "Numbers are going down throughout the island," Prishanthy Wijesinghe, a senior official with the Ministry of Health's Epidemiology Unit, told IRIN. She warned, however, that it was too early to assume the risk was past.
According to the unit, 58 cases of the mosquito-borne disease occurred during the second week of September, down from nearly 600 cases a week earlier. There were no reported deaths. By comparison, 4,103 cases and 21 deaths occurred in August.
Wijesinghe cited ongoing clean-up efforts and changing weather patterns for the drop. Most cases occur between April and August when light rains are frequent, allowing mosquito breeding areas to multiply. To date this year, close to 30,000 cases and 213 deaths of the disease have been reported, against 35,008 cases and 346 deaths in total for 2009.
According to the World Health Organization, there is no effective vaccine against dengue available or drug treatment for those who become infected.
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According to the unit, 58 cases of the mosquito-borne disease occurred during the second week of September, down from nearly 600 cases a week earlier. There were no reported deaths. By comparison, 4,103 cases and 21 deaths occurred in August.
Wijesinghe cited ongoing clean-up efforts and changing weather patterns for the drop. Most cases occur between April and August when light rains are frequent, allowing mosquito breeding areas to multiply. To date this year, close to 30,000 cases and 213 deaths of the disease have been reported, against 35,008 cases and 346 deaths in total for 2009.
According to the World Health Organization, there is no effective vaccine against dengue available or drug treatment for those who become infected.
us/ds/mw
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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