Measles has re-emerged in Sri Lanka with two confirmed cases detected in the Colombo District, Health Ministry Epidemiology Unit official Dr. Athula Liyanapathirana said.
Both cases involve children. Laboratory analysis conducted in India has confirmed that the virus in at least one case was imported. Dr. Liyanapathirana called for immediate preventive measures to avert an outbreak and urged parents to ensure routine immunisation is up to date.
Sri Lanka was declared measles-free by the World Health Organization in 2019. A WHO expert team recently visited Sri Lanka to review the health system’s primary-care reforms. Sporadic outbreaks have surfaced since 2023, but no cases had been reported since January 2025.
The epidemiologist warned that measles carries long-term health consequences. Recent research indicates the disease may weaken immunity, reducing a person’s ability to fight other infections. He also highlighted the risk of Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis, a rare but fatal complication that can develop years after apparent recovery from measles. Officials stressed that recovery does not eliminate all risks and that parents should remain alert even after a child appears to have fully recovered.
The Ministry has not disclosed whether the two cases are linked or if contacts have been traced, but said vaccination programmes should be intensified in light of the new detections.
In a follow-up directive issued on April 26, the Ministry of Health instructed all medical professionals to immediately report any suspected measles cases — characterised by fever and skin rashes — through the national surveillance system, NewsFirst reported. Doctors at private hospitals have been told to refer patients with these symptoms to a government hospital for further management and contact tracing. Health authorities reiterated the routine immunisation schedule: infants aged 9 months to 3 years must have received at least one dose of the measles vaccine, and children aged 3 to 15 years must have completed both doses. Citizens are advised to seek medical attention immediately if they or their children develop a fever accompanied by a skin rash.
