Resurgence of measles virus infection in an eliminated country, Sri Lanka

Objective:To describe the situation of measles in Sri Lanka from May to November,2023 and to define the role of virology laboratory towards case confirmation and epidemiological and genetic characterization of the outbreak.Methods:This retrospective study analyzed all samples tested for measles from 1st of May to 30th of November,2023 at National Measles Rubella Laboratory,Sri Lanka.According to the World Health Organization(WHO)algorithm,serum and oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal swabs were tested with WHO recommended kits for anti-measles IgM and measles virus specific RNA,respectively.Selected RNA positive samples were sequenced at reference laboratory,India.Analysis of sequencing data and construction of phylogenetic tree were carried out at National Measles Rubella Laboratory.Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results:Of the total 1132 serum samples and 497 oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal swabs from 1326 patients,657(49.5%)patients were confirmed as measles by anti-measles IgM,measles virus specific RNA or both.Males(55.6%,n=365)and the age group from>20 to≤30 years(33.0%,n=217)predominated positive patients.All provinces reported measles positive cases.All samples sequenced(100%,n=42)were genotype D8 with 95.2%(n=40)bearing Victoria.Australia origin.Conclusions:We described resurgence of measles in an eliminated country,confirming the genotype to be D8,one of the two genotypes currently circulating globally.Further,the study strongly convinced the importance of a strengthened virological surveillance system in an eliminated country,despite its eliminated status.

Gemological-Mineralogical Characteristic of Spinels from Sri Lanka

Detailed mineralogical and gemological records were conducted on 340 unheated spinels from the Horana, Eheliyagoda, Ratnapura, and Okkampatiya mining areas in Sri Lanka. The color of Sri Lankan spinel varies greatly: in addition to the mainstream pink to purple pink, green and blue can also be seen. Compared with spinel from other regions such as Myanmar, Vietnam, and Tanzania, Sri Lanka's spinel has more abundant inclusions: several mining areas generally have inclusions such as dolomite, apatite, zircon, and chondrodite. Minerals such as graphite and forsterite are also found in spinel produced in the Horana region;graphite and rutile have been found in spinel produced in the Okkamptiya region. Partially healed fissures are most common in spinel in the Okkampatiya mining area;Unlike Vietnamese spinel, dislocations and growth structures are almost absent in Sri Lankan spinel. The LA-ICP-MS analysis results showed that there were no significant differences among the mining areas. LA-ICP-MS analysis of 5 Sri Lankan cobalt blue spinels showed a variation of 11 to 120 ppm in this chromogenic element. The UV visible absorption spectrum results show that Sri Lankan spinel has a combination spectra with variable ratios of the spectral components Cr 3+ , V 3+ and Fe 2+ from pink to red, orange, purple to purple, and blue-green. The results of infrared spectroscopy and laser Raman spectroscopy analysis showed that all samples showed no indications for heat treatment.

Essential oil content and composition of Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) in Sri Lanka

Santalum album （Indian Sandalwood） is found in the mountainous regions of the intermediate zone of Sri Lanka. Few studies have been conducted on sandalwood ecology in this region, and ours is the first recorded study of essential oil content and chemical composition of heartwood. We harvested two trees with State permission and took cross-sections for analysis. We demonstrated a difference in the heartwood formation and oil yield of the trees. The composition of the oil was found to be consistent between trees and along the trunk of the tree. Main aromatic compounds were santalols and other compounds are recorded in lesser quantities. Results of this study comply with the other published work on sandalwood elsewhere. This initial study on S. album in Sri Lanka provided promising results for the future of sandalwood agroforestry.

An approach to delineate groundwater recharge potential sites in Ambalantota,Sri Lanka using GIS techniques

The demand for fresh water in Hambantota District, Sri Lanka is rapidly increasing with the enormous amount of ongoing development projects in the region. Nevertheless, the district experiences periodic water stress conditions due to seasonal precipitation patterns and scarcity of surface water resources.Therefore, management of available groundwater resources is critical, to fulfil potable water requirements in the area. However, exploitation of groundwater should be carried out together with artificial recharging in order to maintain the long term sustainability of water resources. In this study, a GIS approach was used to delineate potential artificial recharge sites in Ambalantota area within Hambantota. Influential thematic layers such as rainfall, lineament, slope, drainage, land use/land cover, lithology, geomorphology and soil characteristics were integrated by using a weighted linear combination method. Results of the study reveal high to moderate groundwater recharge potential in approximately 49% of Ambalantota area.

Evaluation of PCR-ELISA as a tool for monitoring transmission of Wuchereria bancrofti in District of Gampaha,Sri Lanka

Objective:To compare Wuchereria bancrofti(W.bancrofti)infection rates of Culex quinquefasciatus,using dissection and PCR-EUSA in two consecutive time periods(from 2007to 2008 and from 2008 to 2009).Methods:Mosquitoes were collected in 30 sentinel and 15 nonsentinel sites in 15 Medical Officer of Health areas of Gampaha District known for the presence of W.bancrofti transmission in two consecutive time period of 2007 to 2008 and 2008 to 2009.Captured mosquitoes were dissected to determine the W.bancrofti larvae(L_1 L_2,L_3,).PCR was carried out using DNA extracted from mosquito pools(15 body parts/pool)utilizing the primers specific for Wb-Sspl repeat.PCR products were analyzed by hybridization ELISA using fluorescein-labeled wild type specific probes.The prevalence of infected/infective mosquiloes in PCR pools(3 pools/site)was estimated using the PoolSereen^(TM)algorithm and a novel probability—based method.Results:Of 45 batches of mosquitoes dissected,W.bancrofti infected mosquitoes were found in19 and 13 batches,with an infection rate of 13.29%and 3.10%with mean larval density of 8.7 and1.0 larvae per mosquito for two study periods in the Gampaha District.Total of 405 pools of head,thorax and abdomen were processed by PCR-EUSA for each year.Of these,51 and 31 pools were positive for W.bancrofti in the two study periods respectively.The association of dissection based prevalence rates with PCR based rates as determined by the Pearson correlation coefficient were0.176 and 0.890 respectively for the two periods.Conclusions:Data indicate that PCR-EUSA is more sensitive than the traditional dissection techniques for monitoring transmission intensity.

New constraints on the P-T path of HT/UHT metapelites from the Highland Complex of Sri Lanka

We report here rare evidence for the early prograde P-Tevolution of garnet-sillimanite-graphite gneiss(khondalite)from the central Highland Complex,Sri Lanka.Four types of garnet porphyroblasts(Grt_1,Grt_2,Grt_3 and Grt_4)are observed in the rock with specific types of inclusion features.Only Grt_3 shows evidence for non-coaxial strain.Combining the information shows a sequence of main inclusion phases,from old to young:oriented quartz inclusions at core,staurolite and prismatic sillimanite at mantle,kyanite and kyanite pseudomorph,and biotite at rim in Grt_1;fibrolitic sillimanite pseudomorphing kyanite±corundum,kyanite,and spinel+sillimanite after garnet+corundum in Grt_2;biotite,sillimanite,quartz±spinel in Grt_3;and ilmenite,rulite,quartz and sillimanite in Grt_4.The pre-melting,original rock composition was calculated through stepwise re-integration of melt into the residual,XRF based composition,allowing the early prograde metamorphic evolution to be deduced from petrographical observations and pseudosections.The earliest recognizable stage occurred in the sillimanite field at around 575℃ at 4.5 kbar.Subsequent collision associated with Gondwana amalgamation led to crustal thickening along a P-T trajectory with an average dP/dT of ~30 bar/℃ in the kyanite field,up to ~660℃ at 6.5 kbar,before crossing the wet-solidus at around 675 ℃ at 7.5 kbar.The highest pressure occurred at P > 10 kbar and T around 780℃ before prograde decompression associated with further heating.At 825℃ and 10.5 kbar,the rock re-entered into the sillimanite field.The temperature peaked at 900℃ at ca.9-9.5 kbar.Subsequent near-isobaric cooling led to the growth of Grt_4 and rutile at T ~880℃.Local pyrophyllite rims around sillimanite suggest a late stage of rehydration at T<400℃,which probably occurred after uplift to upper crustal levels.U-Pb dating of zircons by LAICPMS of the khondalite yielded two concordant ^(206)Pb/^(238)U age groups with mean values of 542±2 Ma(MSWD=0.24,Th/U=0.01-0.03)and 514±3 Ma(MSWD=0.50,Th/U=0.01-0.05)interpreted as peak metamorphism of the khondalite and subsequent melt crystallization during cooling.

Distinct metamorphic evolution of alternating silica-saturated and silica-deficient microdomains within garnet in ultrahigh-temperature granulites: An example from Sri Lanka

Here we report the occurrence of garnet porphyroblasts that have overgrown alternating silica-saturated and silica deficient microdomains via different mineral reactions. The samples were collected from ultrahigh-temperature(UHT) metapelites in the Highland Complex, Sri Lanka. In some of the metapelites, garnet crystals have cores formed via a dehydration reaction, which had taken place at silicasaturated microdomains and mantle to rim areas formed via a dehydration reaction at silica-deficient microdomains. In contrast, some other garnets in the same rock cores had formed via a dehydration reaction which occurred at silica-deficient microdomains while mantle to rim areas formed via a dehydration reaction at silica-saturated microdomains. Based on the textural observations, we conclude that the studied garnets have grown across different effective bulk compositional microdomains during the prograde evolution. These microdomains could represent heterogeneous compositional layers(paleobedding/laminations) in the precursor sediments or differentiated crenulation cleavages that existed during prograde metamorphism. UHT metamorphism associated with strong ductile deformation, metamorphic differentiation and crystallization of locally produced melt may have obliterated the evidence for such microdomains in the matrix. The lack of significant compositional zoning in garnet probably due to self-diffusion during UHT metamorphism had left mineral inclusions as the sole evidence for earlier microdomains with contrasting chemistry.

Giant Asian honeybee or Bambara stings causing myocardial infarction,bowel gangrene and fatal anaphylaxis in Sri Lanka:a case series

The sting of Giant Asian honeybee(Apis dorsata) or Bambara in Sinhala and Kanmge Kulavi in Tamil is a common environmental hazard in Sri Lanka known to cause immediate allergic reactions,which could be fatal in sensitized individuals.We reported myocardial infarction, bowel gangrene and fatal anaphylaxis in a prospectively proven case series and the association of these uncommon complications with delayed removal of stingers from the patients’skin.

Etiological agents causing leptospirosis in Sri Lanka:A review

Objective:To systematically review the etiological agent causing human leptospirosis in Sri Lanka.Methods:Published ailicles on leptospirosis and Leptospira in Sri Lanka were all reviewed to determine serovar,strain and species level indentification of Leptospira.After screening process.74 full text articles/reports were reviewed and among of them.12 published papers describing isolation of Leptospira from Sri Lankan patients/animals.5 molecular epidemiology papers on newer typing methods citing Sri Lanka isolates,with a descriptions of the isolates and 6 published papers reporting PCR based species level identification were identified.Results:Published literature showed that more than 40 strains classified under at least 20 serovars and 10 serogroups have been isolated from Sri Lanka.These isolates belong to four species,namely.Leptospira interrogans,Leptospira kirscluneri.Leptospira borgpetersenii,and Leptospira sanlarosai.In addition.recent studies on direct patient samples without culture and isolation showed Leptospira from Leptospira weilli is also circulating in Sri Lanka.Mulli locus sequence typing showed L3 genotypes of Leptospira from Sri Lankan isolates.Conclusions:This review shows the diversity of Leptospira in Sri Lanka,but culture isolation data has not been published in Sri Lanka during last 30 years.

Manifestations and outcomes of leptospirosis during local outbreaks in high endemic districts of Sri Lanka: A retrospective multi-center study

Objective:To determine the clinical presentations and disease outcomes of suspected and confirmed cases of leptospirosis from 3 high endemic districts of Sri Lanka,during outbreaks reported between 2013 and 2017.Methods:The retrospective multi-center study was carried out during 2013-2017 in 5 selected hospitals representing 3 high endemic districts in Sri Lanka.Clinically suspected leptospirosis patients were recruited according to the Communicable Disease Epidemiology Profile Sri Lanka,WHO.Leptospirosis was confirmed by either single microscopic agglutination test titre 1:400 or by positive polymerase chain reaction(PCR)test result.Results:Out of 372 clinically suspected cases,29.00%were confirmed as leptospirosis cases by either microscopic agglutination test(50.00%)or positive polymerase chain reaction(52.77%)and 12.90%were presumptively identified as leptospirosis.Clinical symptoms(headache,vomiting,jaundice and dyspnoea)and variations in haematological parameters(haemoglobin,platelet count)and biochemical parameters(serum creatinine,serum urea,serum bilirubin and C-reactive protein)were associated with confirmed leptospirosis(P<0.05).Acute kidney injury,meningitis,myocarditis,pulmonary haemorrhage and acute liver failure was seen among 21.30%,12.04%,6.48%,6.48%,5.56%,respectively with 4.63%fatality among the leptospirosis confirmed patients.The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the case definition of Ministry of Health,Sri Lanka were 96.29%,9.09%,31.13%and 85.71%,respectively,when benchmarked against either positive polymerase chain reaction or microscopic agglutination test as the gold standard.Conclusions:Acute kidney injury is the predominant complication observed among the leptospirosis confirmed patients.However,pulmonary haemorrhage is predominantly associated with mortality.The case definition of Ministry of Health,Sri Lanka is found to have higher sensitivity and enabled the screening of all probable cases of leptospirosis.

The role of R&D and economic policy uncertainty in Sri Lanka’s economic growth

In this paper,we assess the role of investment in research and development(R&D)and economic policy uncertainty(EPU)in Sri Lanka’s economic growth experience.We do this by first determining which endogenous growth theories best explain the evolution of total factor productivity(TFP)in the country.Using historical time series data(1980–2018),we find that semi-endogenous growth theories best explain the evolution of TFP in Sri Lanka.This evidence suggests that R&D is critical to the country’s TFP expansion.We find that,through R&D,EPU has a crucial detrimental impact on TFP growth,although it is short-lived.Our findings are robust and have important implications for R&D investment and for moderating EPU.

Repeat OGTT at 34 - 36 Weeks to Detect the Late Occurrence of GDM: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study Conducted at the Professorial Unit, Teaching Hospital Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

Aim: Evaluation of the occurrence of glucose intolerance after 34 - 36 weeks in pregnant mothers attending the Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya. Materials & Method: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out from October 2017 to March 2018 among 183 pregnant mothers attending antenatal clinic at Teaching Hospital Peradeniya. After informed consent a repeat Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) was done among the pregnant mothers, at period of amenorrhoea of 34 - 36 weeks, whose initial OGTT values were normal. Gestational diabetes was diagnosed according to the NICE guideline cut off values and the percentage of late occurrence of Gestational diabetes (GDM) was analyzed. Results: Mean age of the population was 29.1 years and the age range in this group was 18 to 45 years and the majority (73.9%) of women were primipara. There were 3.3% of teenage pregnancies and 14% of mothers were over 35 years. Majority (59.7%) of mothers underwent repeat OGTT test at 34 weeks of gestation and the rest (40.3%) underwent test between 34 to 36 weeks of gestation. Although the mean BMI was 23.74, 9.7% of mothers were obese (>30 kg/m2), 30.3% of mothers were pre-obese (25.0 - 29.9 kg/m2). 8.2% of mothers were diagnosed with Gestational diabetes at 34 - 36 weeks whose initial OGTT values were normal. Conclusion: In view of reducing feto-maternal morbidity and mortality, considering a repeat OGTT at a later gestation (34 - 36 weeks of gestation) should be considered in mothers, whose initial OGTT values are normal as Sri Lanka is a high risk country for GDM. Clinical Significance: The study may play an important role in guideline alteration process and screening for gestational diabetes in Sri Lankan set-up.

Design of a Vibration Sensor Based Train Arrival Detection System to Prevent Elephant-Train Accidents in Sri Lanka

At present,Sri Lanka is home to about 5,000-6,000 wild elephants roaming over close to 70%of the country’s land.Despite this blessing,around 150 elephants die each year due to many reasons.The main reasons for the altercations between humans and elephants are the drastic increase in the human population,human encroachment upon elephant territory for agriculture and settlements and unplanned development and transportation efforts.Elephants are long lived herbivores,and their survival depends upon regular migration over large distances to search for food,water,and social and reproductive partners.According to the Sri Lanka railways the average number of elephants that get killed due to elephant-railway accidents is about 9 per year.As a solution for this problem,we have proposed a novel system to pass a signal to indicate the train arrival.The proposed system detects the vibration of the locomotives and after detecting the vibration,alarm system will generate a high frequency signal within the frequency range,where the elephants are sensitive.The proposed system is a low cost device and this can be placed anywhere at any time.Moreover,this project aims to protect elephants from being harmed which usually happen due to various human activities.

Water Quality Variation of Malagane Tank:Lessons Learnt from Sustainable Ancient Hydraulic System,Sri Lanka

Tank Cascade Systems(TCS)are the back bone of the dry zone prosperity in Sri Lanka and supply water throughout the year to agricultural lands since the 2nd century BC.The main aim of this study was to understand the nutrient dynamics of small TCS and find out evidence for the sustainability of the system for thousands of years.Malagane tank cascade in the Deduru Oya Basin(the 5th largest river basin

Lesson Learnt from the 2004 Tsunami:The Effect of Well Cleaning on Groundwater Quality in Coastal Aquifers in Sri Lanka

On December 26,2004,the Indian Ocean tsunami waves hit Sri Lanka resulting in the devastation of the coastal aquifers from saltwater contamination.In an attempt to speed up the cleaning process of the contaminated water in wells,large-scale and intensive campaigns went into cleaning and rehabilitating wells through pumping out saline water(physical cleansing). However,it was unclear whether these attempts improved the well-water quality,especially in terms of salinity due to density driven flow and solute transport phenomenon.Changes in water quality of a sand aquifer on the east coast of Sri Lanka owing to the December 26,2004 tsunami and

A Study on Geophagy by Asian Elephants at Udawalawe National Park,Sri Lanka

Geophagy is the deliberate consumption of earth materials such as soils,clays or sediments by human and animals.The ingested soil is chosen based on its physical,chemical,and mineralogical nature.Early studies reveal that geophagy functions through(1) adsorption/absorption of ingested toxic plant compounds onto clay particles,(2)mineral supplementation (Na,Mn,K,and S as the possible candidates),and(3)

Serum nitrite levels in Sri Lankan patients with leptospirosis

Objective:To determine whether blood nitrite levels are elevated in patients with leptospirosis. Methods:Male patients Fulfilling clinical and epidemiological criteria for a diagnosis of leptospirosis were recruited.Those with MAT title of≥400 together with those seroconverting to a titer of≥200 were included in the analysis.Serum nitrite levels were measured in these patients and age.sex matched healthy controls.Results:Patients from 3 hospitals(n=75) were screened during a 3 month period from 28th June to 3rd September 2009,of whom 20 were eligible for the study.Serum nilrile levels were found to be significantly higher in patients with acute leptospirosis[n=20.(0.359±0.229)μM]compared to controls[(n= 13.(0.216±0.051)μM] (P=0.014).A significant correlation was also observed between the MAT titre and the day of illness (r = 0.547;P【0.0001).Conclusions:Serum nitrite levels are higher in patients with acute leptospirosis compared to age and sex matched controls.No correlation could be assessed with severity of illness,as sample size was inadequate to determine this.

Anthropometric studies on medical students of Nepal and Sri Lanka:height and weight

Nutritional status of a population or an individual could be assessed by clinical,biochemical and anthropometric means.It is widely used in the monitoring of growth and assessment of the nutritional status of children and adults.Even though a large number of anthropometric studies is done in Nepal and Sri Lanka,on various projects related to the nutritional aspects,but only few have been done on anthropometry and due to lack of information on anthropometric data of Nepalese and Sri Lankan medical students,the present study was initiated at Nepal Medical college and Faculty of Medicine,University of Peradeniya,Sri Lanka.The aim of the study was to measure height and weight of medical students of Nepal Medical College and Faculty of Medicine,University of Peradeniya.A total of 1228(males 681;females 547)medical students participated in the study.The ratio of male to female was 1.24:1.The height was measured,to the nearest 0.1 cm without shoes,using a measuring tape affixed to the wall.The weight was recorded using weighing scale,with minimum clothes and without shoes to the nearest 0.1kg.Two tail unpaired t’test was performed to compare mean values.The percentile values were obtained using Microsoft excel for Windows 98.The age of the students varied from 18-26 years with a mean±SD of 20.77±1.17 and 20.90±1.10 in males and females respectively.The heights of the male and female medical students werel.65±0.08 and 1.61±0.08 and the weight was 59.70±9.26 and 55.54±9.16 respectively.The percentile values obtained for height and weight were compared with National Centre for Health statistics(NCHS) standards.The 50th percentile value of males height and weight corresponded to the 20th percentile and below the 20th percentile values respectively of the NCHS standard.The 50th percentile value of female’s height and weight corresponded to less than 10th and 15th percentiles respectively.The height and weight of only 9 males and 8 females were above the 50th percentile value of NCHS standards.The study reveals that the Nepalese medical students and Sri Lankan medical students are underweight and shorter compared to western standards.

Seroprevalence of varicella zoster virus in Colombo district, Sri Lanka

Objective: To determine the seroprevalence of varicella zoster virus(VZV) antibodies among the population residing in the Colombo district of Sri Lanka. Methods: A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted which included 1 258 participants. Blood samples were collected and questionnaires administered to obtain sociodemographic information and history of varicella and/or herpes zoster. Serum samples were assayed for VZV IgG antibodies using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Results: Overall, the seroprevalence was 54.2%(95% CI= 51.5% 57.0%). Children below 1 year of age were seronegative, and only about 20.0% of children between 1 and 10 years of age were seropositive. Seropositivitiy increased with age and by the age of 40 years 74.3% were seropositive. Among women of childbearing age, the overall seroprevalence was about 62.0%(95% CI = 57.7%-66.1%) but was low 37.0% in the 15-19 age group. Conclusion: In this population, 45.8% lacked natural immunity against varicella. Of women of childbearing age, 39.9% lacked immunity and in the subgroup of women 15-19 years of age, 63.0% women lacked immunity. In light of the country's success with the control and high coverage of other vaccine preventable diseases and that the vaccine is available in the private sector, the inclusion of varicella vaccine in the national immunization program may be considered.

Parallels between Russell's viper(Daboia russelii) and hump-nosed viper(Hypnak species) bites in the central hills of Sri Lanka amidst the heavy burden of unidentified snake bites

Objective:To describe the epidemiology of snake bite in the region and attempt to compare proven Russell’s viper with hump-nosed viper bites.Methods:All snake bite admissions to the Toxicology Unit of Teaching Hospital Peradeniya over three year from 2006 were included. Results:Of the 776 snakebites,665(86%) were unidentified and non-envenomed.Humpnosed viper and Russell’s viper accounted for 55(7%) and 40(5%) bites respectively,of them, incriminated snakes were found in 36(65%) and 19(48%) cases.The cobra bites-5,krait bites-0. The median ages:Russell’s viper bites-41(range 16-66),hump-nosed viper bites-42(range 15- 75).The gender incidence,time of bite(】58%daytime) were similar.In hump-nosed viper bite; upper limb involved in 13(36%),happened at home garden in 22(61%),none in paddy fields.In Russell’s viper bite;6(33%) occurred in paddy fields.Dry bites were similar at 5%.In humpnosed viper bite:local effects 94%,coagulopathy 3%,acute renal failure 3%and one patient died.In Russell’s viper bite;local effects 84%,coagulopathy 53%,neurotoxicity 21%.Abdominal pain occurred only in Russell’s viper bites 10(53%).Conclusions:Overwhelming numbers of unidentified,non-envenomed snakebites are common in the central hills.Some distinctive differences were observed between Russell’s viper and hump-nosed viper bites.