Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

since tamileelam is defacto state. once it is recognised by the world the flag will appear:))

Trio found guilty of Rwandan genocide
A U.N. tribunal has found Theoneste Bagosora, a colonel in the Rwandan army, and two other men, guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Next big UN trial could see some well known Sri Lankans at Hague!

is that the same excuse you r gonna give for not having a brain???

SRI LANKA:Rise in rat fever among farmers causes concern

Health authorities in Sri Lanka are concerned about a spike in the number of reported cases of Leptospirosis, known as rat fever, among farmers and are redoubling efforts to halt the spread of the potentially fatal disease.

Rice farmers, usually males between the age of 20 and 60, are the most vulnerable and are being provided with a free prophylactic antibiotic by the government. They are also being advised on basic precautions against contracting the infection.

Almost 7,000 cases of Leptospirosis, 83 percent of them men, have been reported this year, against 2,198 in 2007, according to statistics maintained by the Health Ministry's Epidemiology Unit. About 200 people have died of rat fever this year.

'Leptospirosis is a seasonal, occupation-related disease mainly associated with agricultural activities,' said Sudath Samaraweera, consultant community physician at the Epidemiological Unit. 'The risk of exposure to the bacteria goes up usually after the rainy season because the contaminated areas are widened.'

The bacterium is found in the kidneys of rats, dogs and cattle and is excreted in urine. Anyone who is exposed to water contaminated with the infected urine can contract the disease if they have an open wound or skin abrasion, or they drink the water. The disease is characterised by high fever, headaches and muscle pain. If left untreated, it can lead to death.

The disease runs in roughly a five-year cycle with a peak number of infections experienced this year. Even for a peak year, however, this year's increase is unprecedented and unexpected.

'We think one reason for the sharp increase is the large number of people who are now engaging in agriculture,' said Samaraweera, adding that the high rainfall this year and the changing virulence of the organism may also have contributed to the current outbreak.

In a bid to increase national food production, many abandoned rice fields are being rehabilitated by the government and former farmers, who had found other ways of earning a living, are being encouraged to return to their fields. That ties in with the predominant number of males who contract the disease as women tend to be employed in the fields only at harvest time.

full article

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=82011