 Since the first case was detected in 1986, the total number reported by the end of the third quarter of 2008 was 1029 persons. As opposed to the reported numbers, the estimated numbers amount to 3800 to 4000 people living with HIV in Sri Lanka. Among the reported cases, nearly 84% of persons have acquired HIV through heterosexual contact and 11% through homo/bi sexual contacts, totalling 95%, who have acquired HIV through sexual exposure. The majority (80%) of them were in the 15-49 year age group.
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They are worshipped in some countries and revered in others. But most of all they are feared……..fear being the reaction when seeing sketches of the swirling mass of snakes on the head of the mythical Medusa, the mesmerizing gaze of the beautiful cobra adorning Tutankhamun’s head; the terrifying movie ‘Anaconda’ or even a smoothly-gliding rat snake in our very own backyard. Strangely, however, though stories are galore and people are bitten by snakes not only in remote areas but also in cities, there has been a yawning gap in what happens at ground level and what is documented. 