The Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education has instructed all Provincial Directors of Education to enforce hygiene and referral guidelines in schools to prevent the spread of enteroviral meningitis, following a rise in cases among schoolchildren.
In a circular issued on Friday, Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa said the disease was first reported in Deniyaya in the Matara district in April and has since been identified in Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Badulla. Epidemiological and environmental investigations by the Ministry of Health and Mass Media have found both cluster outbreaks and sporadic cases, with a significant number of infections among schoolchildren.
The Health Ministry confirmed earlier this week that the island-wide case count had reached 203, with the advisory extended to four districts.
Referral and hygiene measures
Schools must immediately refer students showing sudden fever, neck stiffness, irritability, seizures or altered consciousness for medical examination. Hygiene measures include frequent handwashing with soap, regular disinfection of toilets and frequently touched surfaces, proper ventilation in classrooms, and avoiding overcrowding during indoor activities.
The circular directs schools to discourage symptomatic students from joining large gatherings and to follow health guidelines when organising Dansals during Poson and other religious events. School meal programme suppliers were also instructed to use clean water, follow proper food handling practices and exclude symptomatic individuals from food preparation.
Provincial directors must ensure principals and heads of piriven institutions strictly implement the guidelines during daily activities and extracurricular programmes. The directive follows earlier reports of the disease spreading through schoolchildren and the original Deniyaya outbreak.
