Dr. Tharaka Wijerathna
B.Sc. Hons (Colombo), Ph.D. (Kelaniya)
Temporary Senior Lecturer Gr. II
Specialization
-
Medical Entomology
Research Interests
- Vector bionomics
- Sand fly systematics
- Molecular systematics
- Molecular parasitology
- Biological vector-control
Awards and fellowships
Academic honors:
- University of Kelaniya Senate Honors for conducting high quality research & publishing in the years 2017, 2018, and 2020 in international indexed journals.
Publications
Publications in peer reviewed journals
- Wijerathna T. & Gunathilaka N. (2020). Morphological identification keys for adults of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Sri Lanka. Parasites & Vectors. 13 : 450.
- Gunathilaka N., Chandrasena N., Wijerathna T., Gunasekara D., Gunatilaka R.P., Premaratna R. (2019). Descriptive investigation of Strongyloidiasis infection and characterization of Strongyloides stercoralis using morphological and molecular based methods. Case Reports in Infectious Diseases. 2020. Article ID 5431491.
- Gunathilaka N., Perera H., Wijerathna T., Rodrigo W. & Wijegunawardana, A. (2020). The diversity of midgut bacteria among wild caught Phlebotomus argentipes (Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), the vector of leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka. Biomed Research International. 2020. Article ID 5458063.
- Wijerathna T. & Gunathilaka N. (2020). Diurnal adult resting sites and immature breeding habitats of Phlebotomine sand flies in cutaneous leishmaniasis endemic areas of Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. Parasites & Vectors.13: 284.
- Wijerathna T., Gunathilaka N., Gunawardana K., Rodrigo W. (2020). Socio-economic, demographic and environmental factors associated with cutaneous leishmaniasis in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. Parasites & Vectors. 13:244.
- Wijerathna T., Gunathunga S., & Gunathilaka N. (2020). Recent developments and future directions in the paratransgenesis based control of leishmaniasis. Biological Control. 145: June 2020. 104260.
- Wijerathna T., Gunathilaka N., Gunawardana K., & Rodrigo W. (2020). Establishment of a colony of Phlebotomus argentipes under laboratory conditions and morphometric variation between wild caught and laboratory reared populations. Journal of Tropical Medicine. 2020. Article ID 7317648.
- Wijerathna, T. & Gunathilaka, N. (2019). Phlebotomine Sand flies (Psychodidae: Diptera) of Sri Lanka: a review on diversity, biology and bionomics. Journal of Insect Biodiversity . 011(2): 041-058.
- Perera H. & Wijerathna T. (2019). Sterol Carrier Protein Inhibition-Based Control of Mosquito Vectors: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives. Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology. 2019, Article ID 7240356.
- Wijerathna T., Tharanga D., Perera., I. & Wijesinghe M.R. (2019). Effects of habitat change on orb weaver Nephila pilipes in Sri Lanka. International Journal of Zoology. 2019, Article ID 6395015.
- Wijerathna T., Gunathilaka N., & Gunawardana K. (2018). The Economic impact of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka. BioMed Research International. 2018, Article ID 3025185.
- Wijerathna T., Tharanga D., & Wijesinghe M.R. (2017). New distribution record of the abandoned-web orb-weaver, Parawixia dehaani (Doleschall, 1859) (Araneae: Araneidae) from the wet zone of Sri Lanka. University of Sindh Journal of Animal Science. 1(1): 1-3.
- Tharanga D., Wijerathna T., & Wijesinghe M.R. (2017). Diversity and morphometry of orb weaver spiders in rainforests in Sri Lanka. Wild Lanka. 5(1): 017-026.
- Wijerathna T., Gunathilaka N., Gunawardana K., & Rodrigo W. (2017). Potential challenges of controlling leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka at a disease outbreak. BioMed Research International 2017: Article ID 6931497.
- Thotagamuwa A., Wijerathna T., Dangalle C.D., Pallewatte N.P., & Lokupitiya E. (2017). New distribution record of Cylindera (Oligoma) paradoxa, Horn 1892 (Coleoptera:Cicindelidae) in Ratnapura District, Sri Lanka. Check List. 13(3): Article 2127.
Publications in Conference Proceedings (Oral and Poster Presentations)
- Wijerathna, T. Gunathilaka, N. Gunawardena K., Rodrigo, W. (2019). A time-series analysis of the incidence of leishmaniasis integrated with climatic variables in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka International Postgraduate Research Conference (IPRC)-2019. 41pp.
- Wijerathna A.C.T. Gunathilaka, P.A.D.H.N., Gunawardena N.K. and Rodrigo, W.W.P. (2019). Bionomics of Leishmaniasis Vector Sand Flies (Psychodidae:Phlebotominae) in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. 12th International Research Conference 2019 of Kotelawala Defence University. 157pp.
- Gunathilaka P.A.D.H.N., Wijerathna A.C.T., Perera H.N. and Rodrigo, W.W.P. (2019). Bacterial Diversity in the Lumen of Wild Caught Leishmaniasis Vector Phlebotomus argentipes (Psychodidae: Phlebotominae. 12th International Research Conference 2019 of Kotelawala Defence University. 158pp.
- Wijerathna, T. Gunathilaka, N. Gunawardena K., Rodrigo, W. (2018). Breeding sites of Phlebotomine sand flies in cutaneous leishmaniasis endemic areas of Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. International Research Symposium on Pure and Applied Science. 28 pp.
- Wijerathna T., Gunathilaka N., Gunawardana K. (2018). Establishment of a Phlebotomus argentipes colony at a confined laboratory setting and morphometric variation among wild caught sand flies against laboratory reared individuals. International Conference on Health Sciences 2018 at University of Sri Jayawardenepura. 59-60 pp.
- Wijerathna, T. Gunathilaka, N. Gunawardena K, Fujii Y., Gunasekara D (2018). Molecular detection of blood meal sources of wild caught, engorged sand flies (Psychodidae: Diptera) in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka-Japan Collaborative Research Conference. 4 pp.
- Wijerathna T., Gunathilaka N., Gunawardana K., Rodrigo W. (2018). Assessing the level of awareness on cutaneous leishmaniasis among people living in Polpithigama Medical Officer of Health (MOH) area in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. 5th International Conference on Multidiciplinary Approaches. 42 pp.
- Wijerathna, T. Gunathilaka, N. Gunawardena K, Fujii Y., Gunasekara D. (2018) Molecular detection of Leishmania donovani parasites in wild caught Phlebotomus argentipes using a PCR assay and species abundance of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Kuruneagala District; an endemic focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka. 5th International Conference on Multidiciplinary Approaches. 48 pp.
- Wijerathna T., Gunathilaka N., Gunawardana K., Rodrigo W. (2017). Leishmaniasis trend and effects of climatic factors in Polpithigama Medical Officer of Health (MOH) area in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. 73rd Annual Scientific Sessions of Sri Lanka Association for Advancement of Science. 7 pp.
- Wijerathna T., Wijesinghe M.R., Perera I.C. (2016). Differences in web architecture of the Giant Wood spider (Nephila pilpes) in forested and non-forested areas in the Wet zone of Sri Lanka. Proceedings of the 36th Annual Sessions of the Institute of Biology, Sri Lanka.49 pp.
- Wijerathna T., Jayasinghe S., Koswinna K., Perera T., Sajeewani K., Wijesinghe M.R. (2016). Survival of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) following exposure to three concentrations of lead under different temperatures. Proceedings of the 36th Annual Sessions of the Institute of Biology, Sri Lanka.59 pp.
- Wijerathna T., Gunathilaka N., Gunawardana K., Rodrigo W. (2018). Demographic and socio-economic characterization of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis patients in four selected Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. International Conference on Health Sciences 2018 at University of Sri Jayawardenepura. 89-90 pp.
- Wijerathna A.C.T., Gunathilaka, P.A.D.H.N., Gunawardana, N.K. (2017). Diurnal resting sites and potential breeding habitats of leishmaniasis vector sand flies in selected cutaneous leishmaniasis endemic regions in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. 2nd International Conference on Tropical Medicine, University of Peradeniya. 51-52 pp.
- Wijerathna, T., Gunathilaka, P.A.D.H.N., Gunawardana, N.K. (2017). Diversity and abundance of sand flies (Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in areas with high cutaneous leishmaniasis prevalence in Kurunegala District. Peradeniya University International Research Sessions. 315-316 pp.
- Wijerathna, A.C.T., Gunathilaka, P.A.D.H.N., Gunawardana, N.K. (2017). Assessment of the economic burden to households due to cutaneous leishmaniasis infections in three selected Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. National Health Research Symposium 2017. 225 pp.
- Mallawarachchi C.H., Gunathilaka P.A.D.H.N., Wijerathna T., Lahiru N.W.B.A.L., Mallawarachchi S.M.N.S.M., Chandrasena T.G.A.N. A preliminary report on a newly emerging focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Gampaha district, Sri Lanka. Proceedings of the International Conference on Health Sciences 2019, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. 101pp.
- Tharanga D. Wijerathna T., Wijesinghe M.R. (2017) Ecological characteristics of three rainforest orb weaver spiders in Sri Lanka. Proceedings of the 37th Annual Sessions of the Institute of Biology, Sri Lanka. 28 pp.
- Thotagamuwa A., Wijerathna T., Dangalle C.D., Pallewatte N.P., Lokupitiya E. (2016). A Preliminary survey of the occurrence of tiger beetle species (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) in the Jaffna Peninsula of Sri Lanka. Proceedings of the 36th Annual Sessions of the Institute of Biology, Sri Lanka. 50 pp.
Ongoing Research
- Environmental determinants of insecticide resistance in disease transmitting insects.
- Molecular detection of helminthes and protozoan parasites.
Contact Details
Department
Parasitology
Parasitology
Email
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