Dengue larvae found in 48 schools

Nadira Gunatilleke 

Health authorities who inspected 120 schools during the recently completed two day intensive dengue control programme found 48 schools in the Colombo district with mosquito larvae, Health Ministry sources said.

According to the sources, the health authorities also found 48 state institutions out of 134, with mosquito larvae. They inspected 158 construction sites during the programme and found mosquito larvae in 53 of them.

A total of 38 factory premises out of 133 had mosquito larvae. Legal action has been taken against over 70 owners of mosquito breeding premises.

At the end of the programme the inspectors searched 12,058 premises and took legal action against 316 premises.

Notices were issued on 867 premises. A total of 45,845 dengue cases had been detected by health authorities during this year up to November 16 and the highest number, (14,065), had been reported from the Colombo district.

The second highest number, (5,885) and the third highest number, (3,699), had been reported from Gampaha and Kandy districts respectively, the sources said.

All persons who suffer from fever for more than two days should seek immediate medical treatment from a qualified doctor or a state hospital.

“Such patients should not take any other medication for fever except Paracetamol. Other medications can lead to serious complications such as developing Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever which can be fatal,” sources added.