Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne had instructed Malaria Control Programme Director Dr. H.D.B. Herath to take steps to prevent malaria infections in the Kachchathivu Island during the upcoming church feast, Health Ministry Sources said.
According to the sources, a possibility of spreading malaria during the festival is high since a large number of local and Indian devotees attend it. Therefore, all divisional secretaries in the Mannar district were educated about the issue. A new mosquito, Anopheles Stephens, cannot be eradicated easily like ordinary malaria mosquitoes and that type has been detected from the wells at Pesalai, and Thalaimannar, the sources said. The mosquito was detected during a routine mosquito detection programme and that followed intensified malaria prevention programmes being carried out in the area, the sources added.
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