Jaffna’s rat fever spreads to Vavuniya
Number of patients rises to 99
Another group from Colombo to Jaffna
The rat fever that spread in the Jaffna district has also spread to the Vavuniya district and the number of rat fever patients has now increased to 99, Northern Provincial Health Secretary K.A. Kedeeswaran said in a statement.
The patient reported from the Vavuniya General Hospital is a 46-year-old farmer and he has been transferred from the Vavuniya General Hospital to the Jaffna Hospital for further treatment.
Ten more patients have been identified today.
While 89 patients were reported on December 17, 10 more patients were identified on December 18 (today). Currently, 23 patients are receiving treatment at the Point Pedro Hospital and 6 patients at the Yapanaya Teaching Hospital. Reports also indicate that 9 patients with rat fever have been admitted to the Point Pedro Hospital and 5 patients have been admitted to the Yapanaya Hospital in the past 24 hours.
Medicines and antibiotics for 6,000
Meanwhile, a program has been initiated to provide medicines and antibiotics to 6,000 people, including all fishermen, farmers, municipal and regional council sanitation workers, who are engaged in the fishing industry, to prevent the rat fever virus.
Another team from Colombo to Jaffna
Meanwhile, a group of officials from the Department of Livestock Production and Health from Colombo is scheduled to arrive in Jaffna on December 19 (tomorrow) to conduct an inspection.