Sri Lanka, June 8 -- Health officials report that schoolchildren aged between 5 and 19 years account for the highest percentage of dengue cases currently being recorded across Sri Lanka.

In response, the Ministry of Education has issued a new set of instructions to all Provincial Directors of Education for the prevention of dengue and chikungunya.

The Ministry has explicitly stated that principals will be held personally responsible if mosquito breeding sites are identified within school premises during field inspections, potentially facing legal action.

The recent increase in dengue and chikungunya cases is attributed to a surge in mosquito populations following the recent heavy rainfall.

The majority of these cases have been reporte...