SHEAIN FERNANDOPULLE  Courtesy The Daily Mirror

• Joint pain lasts at least a month
• The disease is not spread directly from person to person—only through mosquito bites
• Main symptoms include sudden high fever, severe joint pain, muscle aches, headache, nausea, fatigue, and skin rashes
• These mosquitoes are most active during the early morning and late afternoon
• Eliminating mosquito breeding sites is the most effective way to control the outbreak

Colombo, March 21 (Daily Mirror) – Sri Lanka is experiencing a rapid spread of Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne viral disease, with cases reported from various parts of the country.

Speaking to Daily Mirror, Consultant Physician Dr Achala Balasuriya said Chikungunya is spread through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, primarily Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. These mosquitoes become infected when they bite a person who already has the virus. After an incubation period of about 4 to 7 days, the infected mosquito can then transmit the virus to other people through bites,”

These mosquitoes are most active during the early morning and late afternoon, and they breed in stagnant water found in containers like flower pots, tires, buckets, and clogged drains. The disease is not spread directly from person to person—only through mosquito bites,”

We have seen a spike in Chikungunya cases these days. What we see different here is that the joint pain lasts at least one month after initial recovery,” she said.

The main symptoms include sudden high fever, severe joint pain, muscle aches, headache, nausea, fatigue, and skin rashes. While most patients recover within a week, joint pain can persist for months or even years in some cases, particularly among older individuals,”

She warned that eliminating mosquito breeding sites is the most effective way to control the outbreak.