Is malaria raising its ugly head once again? Health officials

• Mosquitoes capable of causing the disease detected in Jaffna and Vavuniya 
• We keep a watchful eye on tourists coming from countries where malaria has not been fully eliminated

By Sandun A. Jayasekera

As if the double whammy of corona and dengue epidemic is inadequate to bedevil this country, there was a possibility of malaria raising its ugly head once again in the island after the total eradication of the deadly epidemic in 2012, a minister and health officials warned yesterday. 

The riskiest aspect of the re-emergence of the viral disease is that the four types of virus that infect a human body namely, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malaria, there is a possibility that these viruses can enter the country mainly from Indians and in particular from those who engage in illegal fishing trespassing Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, Pharmaceuticals Production, Supply and Monitoring State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana said. He told the Daily Mirror that the government had alerted the Sri Lanka Navy, Health Ministry and the Anti-Malaria Campaign to be vigilant round the clock on the health of south Indian fishermen who are arrested for Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in Sri Lanka’s waters from the seas between Puttalam and Mannar.  “In addition to the south Indian fishermen, we keep a watchful eye on tourists coming from countries in which malaria has not been fully eliminated and expatriate Sri Lankans coming back from those countries” Minister, Prof. Jayasumana said.

 Infectious diseases specialist, Prof. Anula Wijesundara said mosquitoes capable of infecting people with malaria had been detected in Jaffna and Vavuniya recently. Meanwhile, a total number of 20,107 suspected dengue cases had been reported to the Epidemiology Unit from all over the island from January 2021 to the end of December, indicating a sharp rise. Approximately 47.4 % of dengue cases were reported from the Western Province.

The number of COVID-19 victims in Sri Lanka stood at 591,231 with 15,099 deaths by the end of last week that shows the deadly viral infection continues to devastate Sri Lanka unabated. 

• A total number of 20,107 suspected dengue cases had been reported to the Epidemiology Unit from all over the island from January 2021 to the end of December, indicating a sharp rise