RESEARCH GROUP
DENGUE - CLINICAL,VECTOR AND OTHER ASPECTS

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT

Dengue Fever (DF)/Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is endemic throughout the country, with frequent and cyclical epidemics. Dengue control efforts have been targeted at the disease and vector aspects. Our group focuses on multidisciplinary studies targeting clinical and vector aspects including disease severity with circulating dengue serotypes/strains, vector control measures using novel control agents, risk factors affecting transmission, development of mathematical/spatial dengue prediction models for prediction of impending epidemics and development of community-based models for interventions. All these activities will aid the national authorities in controlling dengue in a cost effective and timely manner ensuring a significant economic saving. The group has created a number of collaborative links with international and national institutions and supervised over 15 Ph.D/M.Phil degrees. The team has also received number of international and national awards for their work.
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GROUP MEMBERS

PUBLICATIONS

[Top 5 high-impact indexed papers]
  1. Gunathilaka, N., Upulika, H., Udayanga, L. and Amarasinghe, D. (2019). Effect of larval nutritional regimes on morphometry and vectorial capacity of Aedes aegypti for dengue transmission. BioMed Research International, https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/3607342
  2. Withanage, G.P., Hapuarachchi, H.C., Viswakula, S.D., Gunawardena, N.S. and Hapugoda, M.D. (2020). Entomological surveillance with viral tracking demonstrates a migrated viral strain caused dengue epidemic in July, 2017 in Sri Lanka. PLoS ONE 15(5): e0231408.
  3. Gunathilaka, N., Ranathunga, T., Hettiarachchi, D., Udayanga, L. and Abeyewickreme, W. (2020). Field-based evaluation of novaluron EC10 insect growth regulator, a chitin synthesis inhibitor against dengue vector breeding in leaf axils of pineapple plantations in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. Parasites Vectors 13: 228.
  4. Withanage, G.P., Viswakula, S.D., Gunawardena, N.S. and Hapugoda, M.D. (2021). Multivariate spatio-temporal approach to identify vulnerable localities in dengue risk areas using Geographic Information System (GIS). Nature Scientific Reports 11: 4080.
  5. Ranathunge, T., Harishchandra, J., Maiga, H., Bouyer, J., Silva Gunawardena, Y.I.N. and Hapugoda, M. (2022). Development of the Sterile Insect Technique to control the dengue vector Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) in Sri Lanka. PLoS ONE 17(4): e0265244.

Collaborators

International Collaborators and Institutions:
  • International Atomic Energy Agency
  • International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (UN) New Delhi component
  • Environment Health Institute,Singapore Nagasaki University, Japan
Local Collaborators and Institutions:
  • University of Kelaniya, Dept. of Sociology
         - University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Depts. of
            Zoology and Forestry
         - University of Colombo, Depts. of Chemistry and
            Statistics
  • Ministry of Health (National Dengue Control Unit; National, teaching and other hospitals, Medical Research Institute)
  • Western Province Health Department
  • Ministry of Agriculture
  • Central Environmental Authority

GRANT / FUNDING SUPPORT

  • Molecular Medicine Unit, Establishing a national centre for Research, Training and Services in Medical and Molecular Entomology for vector-borne diseases control” by the International Atomic Energy Agency (TC SRL 5/47), 2016-2021.
  • Molecular Medicine Unit, Enhancing the Capacity and the Utilization of the Sterile Insect Technique for Aedes Mosquito Control, by the International Atomic Energy Agency, 2022-2026.
  • Molecular Medicine Unit, Target oriented comprehensive research project on an operational model to control dengue in Sri Lanka using multiple vector control intervention, new product development and community engagement” by the National Research Council (NRC) (Grant number TO 12-14), 2015-2021.
  • Molecular Medicine Unit, Study on risk factors affecting transmission of dengue in the District of Gamapaha” by the National Science Foundation (NSF) (Grant number RPHS/2016/D 03), 2017-2021.
  • Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of dengue virus in three different clinical settings in Sri Lanka. TWAS Grant 19-190 RG/BIO/AS_I – FR3240310175: USD 11000.

CONTACT

Prof Menaka Hapugoda : menakaha@kln.ac.lk

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  • Last modified on 02 May 2024.