Abstract:
Dengue is an important mosquito-borne vector-borne disease in Sri Lanka with 37,000
reported annual cases during the last five years. The second highest prevalence of dengue
was observed in the Gampaha District in the Western Province during the past ten years.
The objective of this study was to identify possible risk factors affecting transmission of
dengue in selected high risk areas of dengue in the Gampha District. The study was
conducted in four high risk Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas of dengue based on the
annual number of dengue cases being greater than 250 during the last ten years. In each
MOH area, one Grama Niladhari (GN) division with the highest dengue incidence was
selected as the study area. In each study area, a cluster of 75 households was selected
and a house-hold and entomological surveys were carried out in March, 2015. Eriyawatiya
(Kelaniya MOH), Welikadamulla (Wattala MOH), Akbar town (Mahara MOH), and 3-Kurana
(Negombo MOH) were selected as study areas. There was a population of 1234 in 300
house-holds from all four study areas. Average number of dwellers per household was
4.11. Most of house-holds were individual type houses with a small garden (98%) and the
average size of a homestead was 14.92 perches. The main source of water was piped
water, but 2.02% dwellers were using ground well or tube well water for daily purposes
other than cooking and food processing. Some people accumulated water in containers
(8%). The main waste disposal method was by collecting tractors of municipal councils and
1.02% families collect their waste and destroy it. The main dengue vector mosquito species
present in the study areas was Aedes albopictus (98%-101/104). The identified main
breeding places of the mosquitoes were plastic containers, discarded bottles and tins, roof
gutters, plant axils and refrigerator drain pans. Dwellers in these areas have a considerable
knowledge of the dengue disease and preventive measures, but disfavor perusing
preventive measures. Possible risk factors affecting transmission of dengue in study areas
may be crowded conditions due to small houses and homesteads, poor water and waste
management systems, availability of a large number of water filled containers and vector
species, disfavor to pursue preventive measures by themselves and depending on control
methods conducted by the government. Continuous encouragement is needed for people
to follow control measures.
Keywords: Dengue, Gampaha, vectors, risk factors
Acknowledgement: National Research Council (NRC TO 14-04)
menakaha
