It is feared that the dreaded mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is making a comeback after a two-year absence. Reports of people falling victim to Chikungunya are coming in from rural areas.Scattered rains around the country are encouraging the spread of the virus, according to a Health Ministry official.
Dr. Hasitha Tissera, consultant community physician of the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health, said laboratory tests conducted in November and December last year revealed more than 3,000 cases of CHIKV in four districts: Ratnapura, Moneragala, Ampara and Polonnaruwa.
Dr. Tissera said areas not affected during the 2006 CIHKV outbreak may be vulnerable this time around, because of the current weather conditions, and that people in urban areas where the virus was prevalent in 2006 might enjoy a degree of immunity.
“As a result of the rains, areas not affected in the 2006 may be affected this year,” Dr. Tissera said. “Because a large number of CHIKV cases were reported in urban areas in 2006, we expect a long-term immunity to help control the spread of the disease.”
“Steps must be taken to stop the disease from spreading,” he said. “All breeding spots where rain water can collect should be eliminated. Ninety per cent of the breeding of these mosquitoes takes place in man-made receptacles, such as discarded tyres, flower pots, bird baths, broken coconut shells, plastic containers, as well as in blocked drains.
“Only five per cent of the breeding takes place in natural breeding conditions.” | 
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