Medicine:Dengue pandemic in Sri Lanka

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Dengue pandemic in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Dengue map of confirmed cases.svg
Map of confirmed cases
DiseaseDengue fever
Virus strainDengue virus
LocationSri Lanka
Date1989 (1989) – present
(35 years)
Confirmed casesPositive decrease 31,162 (2020)[1]
Deaths
Positive decrease 35 (2020)[1][2]
Fatality ratePositive decrease 0.11% (2020)[1]
Government website
www.epid.gov.lk

The dengue pandemic in Sri Lanka is part of the tropical disease dengue fever pandemic. Dengue fever is caused by Dengue virus, first recorded in the 1960s. It is not a native disease in this island. Present-day dengue has become a major public health problem. Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are both mosquito species native to Sri Lanka. However, the disease did not emerge until the early 1960s.[3] Dengue was first serologically confirmed in the country in 1962. A Chikungunya outbreak followed in 1965. In the early 1970s two type of dengue dominated in Sri Lanka: DENV-1 type1 and DENV-2 type 2. A total of 51 cases and 15 deaths were reported in 1965–1968. From 1989 onward, dengue fever has become endemic in Sri Lanka.[4]

Status of outbreak

Dengue cases by month and year[5]
Month 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
January 1,496 11,608 5,580 7,278 10,927 6,694 6,345 3,610 3,462 3,986
February 1,794 5,368 3,736 4,490 8,724 4,439 3,731 2,011 3,258 3,145
March 849 1,683 3,832 3,380 13,540 2,696 1,962 1,648 2,996 2,628
April 1,702 511 2,970 2,618 12,510 2,832 1,293 1,682 2,109 2,028
May 137 1,548 4,260 3,560 15,936 2,422 1,625 4,292 2,614 2,550
June 2,252 6,019 5,513 25,319 4,731 1,477 6,736 2,427 5,955
July 2,288 8,897 6,455 41,121 10,715 2,125 5,721 2,924 5,193
August 1,559 9,546 4,293 22,270 4,873 1,604 4,022 3,282 5,266
September 1,209 7,307 2,049 9,519 3,629 1,099 2,640 1,912 2,857
October 1,028 11,573 1,905 6,614 2,185 2,066 4,297 1,636 3,181
November 779 21,769 4,537 8,868 2,257 2,762 5,452 2,611 4,034
December 1,318 19,560 5,581 10,753 7,677 3,688 5,91 2,832 3,638
Total 6,389 31,162 105,049 51,659 186,101 55,150 29,777 47,502 32,063 44,461
Dengue cases by region
Region Cases
Provinces Districts 2021 2020
Template:Country data Western Province, Sri LankaWestern Colombo 1,027 4,257
Gampaha 525 2,666
Kalutara 346 1,810
Total 1,898 8,733
Template:Country data Central Province, Sri LankaCentral Kandy 252 3,443
Matale 34 595
Nuwara Eliya 23 168
Total 309 4,206
Template:Country data Southern Province, Sri LankaSouthern Galle 90 1,671
Matara 147 545
Hambantota 126 368
Total 363 2,584
Template:Country data North Western Province, Sri LankaNorth Western Kurunegala 382 969
Puttalam 165 500
Total 547 1,469
Template:Country data Sabaragamuwa ProvinceSabaragamuwa Kegalle 173 865
Ratnapura 211 2,014
Total 384 2,879
Template:Country data Eastern Province, Sri LankaEastern Trincomalee 80 2,296
Batticaloa 2,818 3,717
Ampara 134 1,298
Total 3,032 5,015
Template:Country data North Central Province, Sri LankaNorth Central Anuradhapura 55 433
Polonnaruwa 23 251
Total 78 684
Template:Country data Northern Province, Sri LankaNorthern Jaffna 94 2,157
Kilinochchi 20 135
Mannar 19 137
Mullaitivu 3 90
Vavuniya 24 252
Total 160 2,771
Template:Country data Uva ProvinceUva Badulla 31 525
Monaragala 39 0
Total 70 525

History

Dengue outbreaks started to emerge in Sri Lanka in the 1960s, with the Ministry of Health first serologically confirming the disease in Sri Lanka in 1962. However, unofficial British Ceylon clinical studies recorded dengue-like cases in Sri Lanka in the early 20th century. The first outbreak was confirmed in 1965 and was associated with DEN types 1 and 2, with 51 cases of 15 deaths between 1965 and 1968. Since 1989 dengue has become a major problem in Sri Lanka. From 1970 to 1990, multiple outbreaks with endemic were reported in Western Province urban areas. In 1990 dengue cases rose 1,350 of 54 deaths.[clarification needed] In the early 1990s, annual dengue cases were reported as being up to 1,000.[clarification needed] In 2002 the largest outbreak in recent years was recorded, with 8,931 cases and 64 deaths. The following year, 2003, was one of relatively low endemicity, with only 4,749 suspected cases and 32 deaths reported. In 2004 there were 15,463 suspected cases and 88 deaths reported to the Epidemiological Unit of the Ministry of Health. During the year 2005, 5,211 cases of suspected cases of DF/DHF and 26 deaths were reported to the Epidemiological Unit.[6]

Most dengue cases reported dominated in Western Province. Outbreaks from 2005 to 2008 were attributed to a new mutation DEN type 3. Almost all the districts in Sri Lanka have reported cases and posed a threat to the health of the people. Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Kandy districts have recorded highest number of cases.[7]

Background

Sri Lanka is a tropical and warm country. Mean temperatures range from 28 °C. The rainfall pattern is influenced by monsoon winds from the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. Average rain at 800 to 1,200 mm per year. Average humidity from 75% during different seasons and in the different regions of the country. Tropical region humidity ranges from 75% to 90%. Sri Lanka is a tropical country with two monsoons: the northeast monsoon (December to March) and the southwest monsoon (May to September). Two annual peaks have been identified in the occurrence of dengue cases in the country in association with the monsoon rain.[8]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Epidemiology Unit". Ministry of Health (Sri Lanka). http://www.epid.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_casesanddeaths&Itemid=448&lang=en. 
  2. "Govt. calls for public vigilance as dengue death toll reaches 20". Daily FT (Wijeya Newspapers). http://www.ft.lk/news/Govt-calls-for-public-vigilance-as-dengue-death-toll-reaches-20/56-700807. 
  3. Sirisena, P.D.N.N.; Noordeen, F. (2014-02-01). "Evolution of dengue in Sri Lanka—changes in the virus, vector, and climate" (in en). International Journal of Infectious Diseases 19: 6–12. doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2013.10.012. ISSN 1201-9712. PMID 24334026. 
  4. Historical Account of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever in Sri Lanka (1997). "Historical of Dengue Fever in Sri Lanka". World Health Organization 21: 1. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/148517/dbv21p117.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. 
  5. "Trends". http://www.epid.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_casesanddeaths&Itemid=448&lang=en#. 
  6. Tissa Vitarana, W S Jayakuru, and Nalini Withane (1997). "Historical Account of Dengue Fever in Sri Lanka". https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/148517/dbv21p117.pdf?sequence=1#:~:text=Clinical%20dengue%2D%20like%20illness%20has,deaths%20in%20the%20period%2019651968.. 
  7. Tissera, Hasitha A.; Jayamanne, Bernard D. W.; Raut, Rajendra; Janaki, Sakunthala M. D.; Tozan, Yesim; Samaraweera, Preshila C.; Liyanage, Prasad; Ghouse, Azhar et al. (2020). "Severe Dengue Epidemic, Sri Lanka, 2017 - Volume 26, Number 4—April 2020 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC" (in en-us). Emerging Infectious Diseases 26 (4): 682–691. doi:10.3201/eid2604.190435. PMID 32186490. 
  8. Survey Department of Sri Lanka (2012). "National Atlas of Sri Lanka". National Atlas of Sri Lanka 2012, 2nd Edition.