With the report of a malaria patient from the Ellakanda area of Horana, the Malaria Control Unit has drawn close attention to that area.
This person, who was abroad, contracted fever after returning to Sri Lanka and was later admitted to the Horana Base Hospital for treatment. During the examination conducted there, it was confirmed that he was infected with malaria.
The Ellakanda area is currently under close supervision of the officers of the Entomology Division of the Kalutara Malaria Control Unit. Accordingly, investigations have been initiated regarding the density of mosquitoes in that area and the risk of the disease spreading, and awareness programs have also been implemented in parallel.
Sri Lanka has been declared a malaria-free country, and health officials are urging the public to seek malaria prophylaxis before traveling to malaria-endemic countries.