Srilanka, May 24 -- Sri Lanka is currently grappling with a major outbreak of the Chikungunya viral disease, marking the most significant resurgence of the virus in the country in nearly 20 years, according to renowned virologist Professor Neelika Malavige.

Sharing the findings on social media platform X, Professor Malavige revealed that whole-genome sequencing was conducted on the virus strain using the Oxford Nanopore analysis system.

The results confirmed that the strain currently circulating in Sri Lanka belongs to the Indian Ocean lineage (IOL) of the Chikungunya virus, similar to those found in other parts of South Asia.

"This is the largest outbreak Sri Lanka has experienced since the end of 2024, following a 16-year period wi...