Tackle dengue before it tackles you - CMC

The Colombo Municipal Council will launch the 'Eradication of Dengue through Awareness Campaign' on May 12 at 9 am at Town Hall

Around 849 suspected dengue fever patients have been admitted to hospitals from the Colombo city alone with seven deaths. The majority of

the victims are children. It is important to get rid of mosquito breeding sites

as soon as possible, Colombo Mayor A J M Muzammil said. The dengue fever epidemic of 2011 continues unabated in Colombo, especially in Colombo city's central and northern areas. Colombo Municipal Council's Public Health Department investigations revealed that there is an increase in mosquito breeding places in and around residences and institutions in the city.

Roof gutters, water storage tanks, drains, ornamental plants, items found in improperly disposed garbage and other places in which rain water can collect, are possible breeding sites, the Mayor said in a release yesterday. He said the only way to prevent a dengue outbreak is to prevent mosquito-breeding.

"Think of your family and your neighbours and start inspecting your premises for places in which the dengue mosquito could breed.

This is a task that all citizens in the city should carry out," the Mayor said.