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| Sunday, 19 January 2003 |
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Mystery flu epidemic in Jaffna under control by CAROL ALOYSIUS The `mystery flu' that has claimed over thirty lives in Jaffna causing concern that it could spread to neighbouring districts as well, has now been brought under control. Health authorities said that all efforts were being made to keep the disease under control. Latest reports received from the Jaffna hospital have shown that the number of new patients being admitted to the Teaching Hospital was on the decline, sources said. "But we still need to know the cause of this mysterious illness. We are certain it is a viral fever, but we haven't been able to identify the virus yet", Dr. T.A. Kulatilleke, Director, Epidemiology Unit, Ministry of Health, told the Sunday Observer. He added that although the Health Department had sent out several teams of top level officials following the outbreak of the disease, all the samples they had brought with them to Colombo had so far tested negative. "We are however keeping the disease from spreading by treating the symptoms", he added. The Health Dept. spokesman said that the reason why the tests so far had been negative and they had not yet been able to isolate the virus causing it was probably because of the delay in bringing down the samples from Jaffna to Colombo. "The life of a virus is very short. So we need to have the samples in our testing lab as quickly as possible. We are now making arrangements to try and bring down the samples on the same day they were taken by the return flight from Jaffna". Health sources said that two other diseases, Dengue and Typhoid which had also begun to spread throughout the Jaffna district were also being brought under control. "These two diseases are common at this time of the year due to rains. We are now conducting fogging campaigns to eradicate the mosquito population. All residents in Jaffna have also been warned against drinking unboiled water and undercooked or contaminated food.In addition, we are in the process of immunising the hospital staff who handle patients with typhoid, with a vaccine, Dr Kulatilleke said. Typical symptoms of the yet-to-be identified viral flu are high fever for several days,a confused state of mind, pneumonia and respiratory and renal failure. Patients who have developed any of these symptoms are advised to get themselves admitted to the nearest hospital immediately. |
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