Wednesday, 2 July 2014 00:00
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Sri Lanka has become a dangerous tourism and business travel destination. This is not because of any political situation, but dengue fever claimed 50 lives and infected 17,000 people, reported the eturbonews.
It may put the country’s important and sensitive tourism industry in danger if the current outbreak continues.
Colombo Municipal Council (CMC)’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ruwan Wijeyamuni said peaks of dengue outbreaks are experienced in June and July and a lack of preventive measures will drive tourists away.
The United States has warned its citizens travelling or living here that dengue fever continues to pose risks. American citizens were advised to take precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes since there were no vaccines or specific treatment for dengue. The United States travel warning says: ‘Dengue fever may be fatal if left untreated and often impacts children more adversely’.
The Australian government, in its travel advisory to Sri Lanka, stated that ‘All regions of Sri Lanka experience outbreaks of the mosquito-borne dengue fever’.
The United Kingdom too in its travel advisory to the country refers to the dengue cases reported last year: The UK travel advisory says: In 2013 there were 31,825 reported cases of suspected dengue fever, a common viral infection spread by mosquitoes.
Even the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority requests those travelling to the country to watch out for vector borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
June recorded the highest number of cases for the year with 4,500 cases reported in the first few weeks of the month, bringing the total to 17,000. Colombo district led with 6,174 cases followed by Gampaha and Ratnapura.
Among the tourist and travel areas declared as high risk are Colombo city, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, Negombo and the Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Ratnapura, Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts.
Increased atmosphere temperature results in the Aedes mosquito requiring more energy in order to breed – thus being more voracious in its feeding – and that the virus thrives in warm temperatures of more than about 28-30 C or more.
Unlike the human body, the mosquito’s body and larvae change according to the temperature. Mosquitoes will need frequent feeding due to energy requirements. This results in increased blood meals. Scattered rains coupled with high temperature will lead to increased mosquito breeding and mosquito bites. All Sri Lanka hospitals, both private and state, have been instructed to keep dengue patients under bed nets in order to prevent other patients, visitors and medical staff from contracting dengue. Hospital managers have been instructed to keep hospitals free of mosquito breeding.
