Health Ministry urges precautions as meningitis-like viral illness spreads to new areas

The Ministry of Health has urged the public to follow health and safety guidelines to help curb the spread of a suspected meningitis-like illness now reported from several parts of the country.

Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni said health authorities remain on alert over the cases. Patients were first reported in Deniyaya, and the illness has since been recorded in Rikillagaskada, Diyathalawa and Kandy. Officials are closely monitoring for new patients and any further spread, he said.

Dr. Wijemuni explained that the illness is reportedly a type of influenza that displays signs of meningitis, and that the Medical Research Institute (MRI) is continuously monitoring the virus category linked to it. As ground-level research continues, he urged the public not to panic, adding that precautionary measures are already in place to prevent the disease from reaching other areas.

The Ministry identified fever, headaches, vomiting and nausea, neck stiffness, and sensitivity to sunlight as symptoms, and said the illness can spread through close contact, contaminated drinking water and physical contact. It advised people to drink safe water, wear face masks and avoid crowded places.

The Epidemiology Unit has since issued a formal guidelines circular to all Provincial and Regional Directors of Health Services, hospital directors and Medical Officers of Health countrywide. Prepared under Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Palitha Karunapema, the circular covers clinical diagnosis, laboratory testing, treatment protocols and school-based control measures. Transmission occurs primarily through the fecal-oral route and respiratory droplets, with an incubation period of three to seven days; most patients are expected to recover within a week.

The advisory follows the GMOA’s earlier confirmation of viral meningitis in Deniyaya, which forced several schools to close, and the Ministry’s May 22 confirmation of cases spanning Kurunegala and Kandy. It is distinct from the Angunakolapelessa prison cases, where suspected inmates tested negative for meningitis.