Sri Lanka, June 2 -- Consultant Community Physician Dr. Kushani Dabarera yesterday requested schoolchildren not to share food or drinking water with colleagues as health authorities continue efforts to contain the spread of viral meningitis in the country.

She said a significant number of suspected meningitis patients are schoolchildren and advised the public to consume only boiled water, as contaminated water is believed to be the likely source of the outbreak.

According to Dr. Dabarera, 178 of the 237 patients who developed symptoms of viral meningitis have recovered and been discharged from hospitals, while 59 patients remain under treatment.

"Laboratory investigations have confirmed that the disease is a form of enteroviral meningi...