1934-35 malaria outbreak in Ceylon

Malaria Epidemic of 1934-35 in Ceylon
Disease	Malaria
Parasite strain	Plasmodium sp.
First outbreak	Ceylon
Dates	1934 to 1935
Confirmed cases	1.5 million
Deaths	80,000
Fatality rate	1.45%

The Malaria Epidemic of 1934-1935 was one of the largest Malaria epidemic Sri Lanka had experienced. Epidemic had a major impact on Ceylon with 1.5 million people of a population of 5.5 million effected and 80,000 excess deaths over a 7-month period. The epidemic was primarily triggered by a drought that led to the failure of the monsoon rains, which in turn caused a severe rice famine and weakened the population. It was the first major crisis of the newly elected State Council of Ceylon.

Anopheles culicifacies

Precipitation and irrigation map of Sri Lanka

Ceylon faced a major malaria outbreak in 1906 and the colonial government introduced an Anti-Malaria campaign in 1911. In 1934, South-West monsoon rains to wet zone in the South-West quadrant of the island failed, resulting in a drought from May to the first week of October. In October there was heavy rains and minor flooding in the Kelani valley, with drier November and December. The drying up of rivers with shallow warm clear water pools, prove ideal breeding grounds for Anopheles culicifacies mosquitos that multiplied with the October rains and increased dispensary attendance was first noticed in October. The epidemic was most severe in the valleys of the Kelani River, Deduru Oya, Maha Oya and their tributaries. The Ratnapura District, the Sabaragamuwa Province and the southern parts of the Western Province were moderately effected. Around one-fifth of the area of the island was affected, which was close to 5,000 square-miles of the most densely populated area with 3,500,000 of the island's total population 5,500,000.

Se also

• 1906 malaria outbreak in Ceylon