News
Polio virus in sewage sample again: This time in UK
Vaccine-derived poliovirus has been detected in sewage samples from the London Beckton Sewage Treatment Works in the eastern part of the British capital, the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said June 22, 2022, while declaring it as a ‘national incident’.Investigations were underway, the UKHSA said, after several closely related viruses were found in sewage samples taken between February and May.
“The virus has continued to evolve and is now classified as a ‘vaccine-derived’ poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2), which on rare occasions can cause serious illness, such as paralysis, in people who are not fully vaccinated,” the agency added. No case of paralysis has been reported as of now.
The virus may have spread between closely linked individuals, who were administered an oral polio vaccine overseas.The UK offers an injected, inactivated poliovirus vaccine, which is not shed in faeces. However, several countries continue to offer the oral vaccine, which has a mild form of the virus that can be found in faeces and can thus be detected in the sewage system.The detection of a mutated version of the same strain in April and May indicates community transmission for several months, The Telegraph reported. Moreover, several samples were reported, as opposed to the occasional three per year.Expanded wastewater surveillance is underway in the city to identify local areas for targeted action.
“The importance of this finding is that it is important to ensure that all children have access to vaccines, even in developed countries, where usual vaccination coverage is quite high,” Shahin Huseynov, technical officer for the World Health Organization (WHO)’s vaccine-preventable diseases and immunisation programme in Europe, was quoted as saying by The New York Times.
The UK last reported a case of wild poliovirus in 1984 and the country was declared polio-free by 2003.
“The majority of Londoners are fully protected against polio and won’t need to take any further action. But the National Health Service (NHS) will begin reaching out to parents of children aged under five in London, who are not up to date with their polio vaccinations, to invite them to get protected,” Jane Clegg, chief nurse for the NHS in London, was quoted as saying by the UKHSA press office.
Childhood vaccination coverage, which includes polio vaccination, has been on the decline for the past few years in the UK.A third of children in the borough of Hackney and the City of London did not receive the first dose at the 12 month-mark, while nearly one quarter missed their second shot due to be taken at 24 months, according to The Telegraph.In the 2020/2021 academic year, less than 85 per cent had received all three doses of the vaccine in London, while 33 per cent missed their pre-school or teen booster.
The detection of vaccine-derived poliovirus is not rare. A case was reported from Israel March 2, 2022, in a three-year-old unvaccinated child. The figure had shot up to seven cases by April 15.Wild poliovirus is endemic only in Pakistan and Afghanistan, with just two new cases reported in 2021, according to the WHO. However, Malawi recorded Africa’s first wild poliovirus case in five years this February.
“One case of VDPV-type 1 was detected from an environmental sewage sample collected from the Shyamlal Lane ES site in Kolkata April 25, 2022,” according to a WHO statement released June 17.The global health body had added that the virus was “likely to have been excreted by an immune-deficient individual.” – DTE
News
Sun directly overhead Galle, Angulugaha, Imaduwa, Telijjawila, Yatiyana and Tangalle about 12.08 noon today (07)
The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.
The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (07) are Galle, Angulugaha, Imaduwa, Telijjawila, Yatiyana and Tangalle about 12.08 noon.
By Norman Palihawadane
The CID recently found that former SLPP Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekara, better known as ‘Choka Malli’, had left for Thailand when the Supreme Court imposed an overseas travel ban on him last Friday.
The CID discovered that Jayasekara had left Sri Lanka on August 31, while authorities were taking steps to enforce the travel restriction imposed by the Supreme Court. The Department has subsequently informed the Attorney General’s Department of the development.
The Supreme Court last Friday ordered Jayasekara, and two other men, to appear before court on October 21, and imposed a ban on their overseas travel.
The orders were made as the Supreme Court considered an appeal challenging the acquittal of the three men in connection with the 2015 murder of Shantha Dodangoda, also known as D.G. Sunil Perera.
The appeal was filed by Dodangoda’s wife against a decision of the Court of Appeal to acquit and release Jayasekara and the two other accused, who had previously been convicted and sentenced to death by the Ratnapura High Court.
Dodangoda was killed in a shooting in Kahawatta town, in the early hours of January 5, 2015, while a group of people were putting up decorations for an election rally in support of then common Opposition presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena.
Two others, Karunadasa Weerasinghe and Mohamed Ilfan, were seriously injured in the shooting.
Following the incident, the Ratnapura High Court convicted Jayasekara, former Chairman of the Kahawatta Pradeshiya Sabha Wajira Darshana de Silva, and former Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council member Nilanta Jayakody, sentencing all three to death.
The Court of Appeal subsequently acquitted the three men and ordered their release.
The victim’s wife later challenged the acquittal before the Supreme Court.
The appeal was taken up before a Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justices Achala Wengappuli and Gihan Kulatunga.
During the proceedings, Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara requested that the court impose overseas travel restrictions on Jayasekara and the other respondents.
The Supreme Court subsequently ordered all three to appear before the court on October 21 and imposed travel bans on them.
President’s Counsel Nalin Ladduwahetty, President’s Counsel U.R. de Silva and President’s Counsel Anuja Premaratne appeared for the respondents. President’s Counsel Saliya Peiris represented the aggrieved party.
Police sources said that the discovery that Jayasekara had already left for Thailand, on August 31, has raised concerns over the timing and enforcement of the travel ban.
Sources said that the CID had notified the Attorney General’s Department and was taking further action in relation to the development.
By Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon
The number of deaths from dengue fever in Sri Lanka has risen to 73 this year, with 96,228 cases reported across the country so far, according to the Dengue Control Unit.
The latest figures indicate that dengue continues to pose a significant public health concern, with 737 new cases recorded during the first four days of September alone.
Dengue infections peaked in July, when 29,964 cases were reported, according to the latest data. June recorded the second-highest monthly total, with 21,533 cases, while 10,155 cases were reported in August.
Earlier in the year, 8,590 cases were recorded in May and 7,866 cases in January.The Western Province remains the worst-affected area, accounting for more than half of all dengue cases reported nationwide. A total of 50,851 cases have been recorded in the province, representing 52.84% of the country’s total.
The Southern Province has recorded 13,950 cases, followed by the Central Province with 8,818 cases and Sabaragamuwa Province with 7,925 cases.
Sun directly overhead Galle, Angulugaha, Imaduwa, Telijjawila, Yatiyana and Tangalle about 12.08 noon today (07)
Showers above 50 mm are likely at some places in the Uva and Eastern provinces.
Harshitha’s composed knock seals Sri Lanka’s semi-final berth
‘Choka Malli’ slips out of country before travel ban
Dengue death toll rises to 73
Ranil accuses govt. of undermining democracy
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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