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Danger months for dengue loom as COVID consumes resources
With the health system sending all hands on deck to fight the COVID pandemic raging throughout the country, the annual dengue fever eradication programme has suffered just as monsoon showers signal the worst months for dengue.
The health system is using all health workers to contain COVID-19, leaving dengue eradication programmes starved of resources, National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) Director Aruna Jayasekera said.
Home inspections for dengue risk cannot be carried out during the pandemic lockdowns as people do not let strangers into their compounds.
As the south-west monsoon hit Sri Lanka’s shores last week, Dr. Jayasekera alerted people to the importance of keeping their homes and compounds clean to prevent dengue haemorrhage fever from spreading.
He warned that Epidemiology Unit statistics over the past 10 years have shown that June and July, the height of the south-west monsoon season, bring the highest number of dengue infections.
From January to April, 7,317 cases of dengue, with four deaths, were reported.
The Western Province reported the highest number of cases, with 1,159 from the Colombo district followed by Gampaha (537) and Kalutara (366), the Epidemiology Unit said. The lowest numbers were from Mullaitivu (three), Ampara (17) and Nuwara Eliya (22).
The numbers for 2020 and 2021 tell an interesting story.
This year’s statistics marked a sharp and welcome drop from the same period last year when 19,179 cases were identified. In January last year, there were 11,608 cases followed by 5,368 cases in February.
In March 2020, however, there was a huge drop to 1,683 cases and in April only 511 cases. These were the months of COVID lockdowns.
In total, 31,162 cases and 35 deaths from COVID were reported in 2020.
Dr. Jayasekera attributes the decline in numbers from March 2020 to the cessation of work at construction sites and fewer people leaving their homes.
As well, with activities confined to home during the lockdowns, many people tidied up their compounds and engaged in gardening, which resulted in potential dengue mosquito breeding grounds being cleaned up and fewer infections as a consequence, Dr. Jayasekera said.
The benefits of these factors continued: there were only 4,540 cases in June and July last year, compared to 14,916 cases in June-July 2019.
In 2017, a record high of 186,101 cases were reported, with Colombo and Gampaha contributing 24,783 cases just in June and July.
The NDCU introduced the Wolbachia mosquito programme last year to curb the disease but had to quickly shelve it because of the pandemic.
It plans to expand the programme this year following its pilot project in Colombo and Nugegoda.
“We request households to continue their good work and keep their homes and compounds clean and free from the deadly dengue mosquitoes, Dr. Jayasekera said.