Govt. to take fresh measures to fight dengue

• Infections nearly double to over 97,000 from previous year 
• Govt. to slash prices of blood tests 
• New bacteria to be introduced in Feb. 
• Three-day nationwide program to eradicate breeding sites

By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya

In the wake of higher dengue infections the Government yesterday outlined new mitigation plans and measures to slash costs of tests to diagnose the disease after patients nearly doubled to over 97,000 in 2019. 

Revised prices for dengue blood tests are to be gazetted with the full blood count test being reduced to Rs. 400 and the NS1 antigen test being reduced to Rs. 1,200, a Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Ministry official told Daily FT. 

A discussion between officials of the Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Ministry and the Consumer Protection Authority last week resulted in an agreement to reduce the price of dengue blood tests in private hospitals, Dengue Control Unit Director Dr. Anura Jayasekara said.

Dr. Jayasekara added that a total of 97,562 dengue cases had been reported this year, almost double the number of cases from 2018.

According to data published by the Epidemiology Unit of the Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Ministry, 90 deaths have been reported in 2019 alone – a high number compared to last year’s 58 deaths and 51,659 cases. 

Colombo District had the most number of dengue cases this year, with the Epidemiology Unit reporting a total of 19,713 cases. Gampaha District had 15,407 cases and Kandy District had 8,597 cases this year.

Unlike last year, when the highest number of dengue cases were reported in January (7,278 cases), July (6,455 cases), and December (5,581), this year, November alone had 21,561 cases, with 12,322 reported in December and 11,532 in October.

The Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Ministry is however taking steps to control the situation and Dr. Jayasekara said that programs were being carried out to monitor and destroy breeding places. A special nation-wide three-day program is to be launched on 7 January and it will cover high-risk areas with a high number of patients. “District wise, the high risk areas are Colombo, Gampaha, Trincomalee, and Batticaloa, but we will also be going to pockets in other districts,” Dr. Jayasekara said.

Construction sites have been identified as major breeding places, he said, adding that schools and religious places were also major breeding places.

Dr. Jayasekara added that the armed forces always partook in these programs although participation reduced following Easter Sunday attacks. “We could not get their support after 21 April but the armed forces took part in the program carried out during the first week of December and it was a success,” Dr. Jayasekara commented.

While Dr. Jayasekara said that the participation of armed forces was more effective than health officials alone, the lack of participation did not contribute to high levels of cases being reported this year. Instead, it was a change in serotypes that had an effect on the numbers.

“In the last two years, it was Type 2 but this year, it was predominantly Type 3,” Dr. Jayasekara said, adding that weather changes and intermitted rains were also a contributing factor. 

Besides efforts to monitor and destroy breeding places, officials will also be introducing a new bacteria to the mosquitoes in February. “When that bacteria is present inside the body of the mosquito, the mosquito cannot transmit the disease,” Dr. Jayasekara explained.