Sand-Fly Attack in Polonnaruwa 84 Patients Admitted to Hospital

According to the World Health Organization, Leishmaniasis is caused by the protozoan Leishmania parasites, which are transmitted by the bite of infected female phlebotomine sandflies.

Doctors have diagnosed Leishmaniasis patients in Srilanka. Regional Epidemiologist, Dr. Y. S. Chaminda Seneviratne, said last year, there were 129 patients and so far during the first 6 months of 2017, they have found 84 cases. Health authorities in the Polonnaruwa district identified  that all 7 Divisional Secretariat regions in the district are affected by ‘Leishmaniasis’.

Dr. Seneviratne also said the men between the age of 25 and 75 years are prone to contact with this disease. This disease has spread to  Dimbulagala, Elahara and Thamankaduwa MOH divisions.

He also said this disease if prominently found in Polonnaruwa, Hambantota and Anuradhapura districts.