The Ministry of Health has warned of an increase in the spread of Chikungunya viral disease in Sri Lanka.
The Epidemiology Unit said that surveillance has been conducted in selected hospitals in the Western Province since last December on the spread of Chikungunya.
The surveillance revealed that the number of cases reported in the Western Province has increased, and that Chikungunya cases were also reported in other provinces.
The vectors for chikungunya are the same mosquitoes that transmit dengue fever, which are Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
Headache, redness of the eyes, pain in the eyes when looking at light, and fever are the main symptoms of the disease.
For infected persons, joint pain, insomnia, and other physical discomforts will persist for five to seven days.
The Epidemiology Unit has advised that it is important to keep the surrounding environment clean to prevent mosquitoes from breeding and to prevent the disease. (Newswire)