A recent situation analysis by the Ministry of Health’s Epidemiology Unit reveals that women are more affected by chikungunya than men, with 58.6% of reported cases involving females compared to 42.6% involving males.
The data, released in May, covers infections reported since November 2024 and points to a significant gender disparity in mosquito exposure.
Age-wise, the highest number of chikungunya cases has been reported among individuals aged 41 to 60, who account for 45% of total infections. Those aged 21 to 40 represent 28%, while people over 60 also show a considerable infection rate, challenging previous assumptions that mainly the elderly were more vulnerable.
Chikungunya cases have been reported through the Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) system since November, while sentinel surveillance sites were initially established in Colombo, Gampaha, and Kandy districts. The system has since been expanded to cover other districts nationwide.
The Western Province has emerged as the epicenter of the outbreak, with Colombo District alone accounting for 63.4% of cases, followed by Gampaha with 18.3%.
Within Colombo, around 200 cases have been confirmed, while Gampaha has logged between 100 and 200 cases. In contrast, the Colombo Municipal Council area, Kandy, and Jaffna have reported relatively fewer cases, ranging between 20 to 50, indicating early-stage outbreaks in those regions.
