{"id":18828,"date":"2026-05-20T11:39:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T11:39:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/?p=18828"},"modified":"2026-05-20T11:40:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T11:40:31","slug":"false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/","title":{"rendered":"The Claim That a Type of \u201cBrain Fever\u201d Is Currently Spreading Among Schoolchildren in the Ratnapura Area Is False!\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-background has-medium-font-size\"style=\"background-color:#b6babf91\"><a href=\" https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029Va5pj8o4IBh5WxNhlE0I \"> Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel <\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Various attempts to raise public awareness using new technology are frequently seen across social media platforms these days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, sharing unverified information on social media can create unnecessary public fear. Below is a fact-check we conducted regarding one such false claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Social Media Posts :<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDisturbing news from Ratnapura! Please pay attention to this for the safety of your children. \u2018Meningitis\u2019 (brain fever) is reportedly spreading among schoolchildren in Ratnapura these days. According to health authorities, although the situation is currently reported only from Ratnapura, it is important for parents across Sri Lanka to be aware of it.\u201d<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A video created using artificial intelligence circulated on social media, claiming: &#8220;This video clearly explains the symptoms and the safety precautions that should be taken to protect children. Please share this valuable video for the safety of children!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe frameBorder='0' width='640' height='360' webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen src=\"https:\/\/www.awesomescreenshot.com\/embed?id=52499199&#038;shareKey=0cf99e9c9b9a3a64dcb34fc494b40ede\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/web.facebook.com\/reel\/3442487609231894\"><strong>Facebook<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The video was also widely shared through WhatsApp.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"526\" height=\"538\" src=\"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-91.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18830\" srcset=\"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-91.png 526w, https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-91-293x300.png 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 526px) 100vw, 526px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following several requests to verify whether &#8220;brain fever&#8221; was actually spreading in the Ratnapura area, we conducted a fact-check into the claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Fact-Check&nbsp; :<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Encephalitis and meningitis, commonly referred to as \u201cbrain fever\u201d in general usage, are serious medical conditions caused by infections affecting the brain or the protective membranes surrounding the brain. These diseases are mainly classified based on the type of microorganism causing the infection and the body\u2019s reaction to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We first examined whether mainstream media outlets had reported any unusual increase or outbreak of \u201cbrain fever\u201d cases among children in the Ratnapura area. However, we were unable to find any such reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In early May 2026, greater public attention was drawn to reports of a fever-like illness among schoolchildren in Deniyaya, in the Matara District. In the first week of May 2026, a suspected outbreak of viral meningitis (\u201cbrain fever\u201d) was reported among schoolchildren in the Deniyaya area. As a result, around<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ZvH-LSViZC8?t=69\"> 47 children<\/a> received treatment at the Deniyaya Base Hospital. To control the spread of the illness, education authorities in the zone temporarily closed several schools in the area. Health officials have suspected that the virus may have been transmitted through contaminated drinking water. This situation was also reported in several mainstream media outlets and reports can be found <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adaderana.lk\/news.php?nid=122256\">here<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsfirst.lk\/2026\/05\/07\/four-schools-in-deniyaya-temporarily-closed-due-to-spread-of-virus\">here<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/breaking-news\/Schools-in-Deniyaya-temporarily-closed-amid-viral-fever-outbreak\/108-339711\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the Ratnapura District has historically <a href=\"https:\/\/archives.dailynews.lk\/2013\/02\/27\/news51.asp\">recorded<\/a> cases of \u201cbrain fever\u201d such as Japanese encephalitis from time to time. Therefore, we contacted the Director of the Ratnapura Teaching Hospital for clarification. Dr. Aruna stated that there have been no reports of a meningitis outbreak or any unusual increase in paediatric cases similar to the situation reported in Deniyaya. He further noted that only occasional cases of Japanese encephalitis and meningitis are treated at the hospital each year as part of normal hospital admissions. He emphasized that these are routine cases and not indicative of any current outbreak linked to the situation reported in Deniyaya. However, he added that health authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Regional Epidemiology Unit<\/strong>, which monitors infectious disease trends in the area, also confirmed that there has been no significant increase in cases of encephalitis or meningitis reported at the hospital or in the surrounding region, including among schoolchildren. This was further confirmed by the local Public Health Inspector, who stated that no abnormal rise in such cases has been observed in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, although there is no outbreak of \u201cBrain Fever\u201d in the Ratnapura District at present, health authorities regularly issue warnings about diseases that can affect the brain.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sri Lanka\u2019s highest number of rat fever cases and related deaths are reported from the <a href=\"https:\/\/dailynews.lk\/2025\/06\/16\/features\/796602\/rat-fever-on-the-rise-2\/\">Ratnapura District.<\/a> In severe cases, rat fever can affect the brain and its surrounding membranes, leading to meningitis, which can be life threatening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Standing water in gem mining pits in the Ratnapura area can contribute to mosquito breeding, while the presence of pig-rearing farms is also considered a risk factor for certain infections. These environmental conditions may increase the risk of diseases such as Brain Fever in affected areas. As a result, the government has made the vaccine for this (JE Vaccine) compulsory for children under the age of 10. Information on this is available <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sundaytimes.lk\/130217\/news\/open-gem-pits-and-pigs-main-cause-for-spread-of-japanese-encephalitis-33624.html\">here<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epid.gov.lk\/storage\/post\/pdfs\/en_67c181e537afa_Vol_52_no_01-english.pdf\">here<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/archives.dailynews.lk\/2013\/02\/27\/news51.asp\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Steps to protect children<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Always provide children only boiled and cooled, clean drinking water.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Advise children not to share water bottles or food at school or tuition classes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a child develops a high fever, severe headache, vomiting, or difficulty in moving the neck, seek immediate medical attention at the nearest government hospital without delay. More information is available <a href=\"http:\/\/suwalanka.com\/%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%9C%E0%B7%85%E0%B7%9A-%E0%B6%8B%E0%B6%AB-meningitis\/\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Explaining the situation reported in Deniyaya and the symptoms of meningitis, Paediatric Respiratory Specialist Dr. Channa De Silva of Lady Ridgeway Hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><iframe title=\"\u0daf\u0dbb\u0dd4\u0dc0\u0db1\u0dca \u0d85\u0dad\u0dbb \u0db4\u0dd0\u0dad\u0dd2\u0dbb\u0dd9\u0db1 \u0d8b\u0dab \u0d9c\u0dd0\u0db1 \u0dc3\u0ddc\u0dba\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1 \u0dc0\u0dd2\u0dc1\u0dda\u0dc2 \u0dc0\u0ddb\u0daf\u0dca\u200d\u0dba \u0d9a\u0dab\u0dca\u0da9\u0dcf\u0dba\u0db8\u0d9a\u0dca \u0d85\u0daf \u0daf\u0dd9\u0db1\u0dd2\u0dba\u0dcf\u0dba\u0da7 | Ada Derana\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZvH-LSViZC8?start=40&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Join us to learn more about our fact checking investigations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/factcrescendosl\/\"><strong>Facebook<\/strong><\/a><strong> | <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/factcrescendosl\"><strong>Twitter<\/strong><\/a><strong> | <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/factcrescendo_sl\/\"><strong>Instagram<\/strong><\/a><strong> | <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMODMpgswyNe-Aw\"><strong>Google News<\/strong><\/a><strong> | <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@factcrescendosl\"><strong>TikTok<\/strong><\/a> <strong>| <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@factcrescendosl\/featured\"><strong>Youtube<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Conclusion :<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our investigation confirms that the video circulating on social media claiming meningitis is spreading among schoolchildren in the Ratnapura area is false. The Director of the Ratnapura Teaching Hospital, along with the Regional Epidemiology Unit and Public Health Inspectors, confirmed that there has been no significant increase in &#8220;brain fever&#8221; (encephalitis or meningitis) cases at the hospital or in the surrounding region.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They stated that only one or two isolated cases have been treated since the beginning of the year, which is considered normal. Health authorities clarified that there is no outbreak among schoolchildren and no evidence of a viral spread similar to the situation reported in Deniyaya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<style>\n  \/* Modern Flexbox Container *\/\n  .fc-author-card {\n    display: flex;\n    align-items: center;\n    background-color: #ffffff;\n    border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\n    border-left: 6px solid #e31b23; \/* Red brand accent line *\/\n    border-radius: 8px;\n    padding: 24px;\n    margin: 24px 0;\n    box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.05);\n    font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\n    gap: 24px;\n    color: #333;\n  }\n\n  \/* Stamp Image *\/\n  .fc-author-card img {\n    width: 100px;\n    height: 100px;\n    flex-shrink: 0;\n    border-radius: 50%;\n    object-fit: contain;\n  }\n\n  \/* Text Content Wrapper *\/\n  .fc-card-content {\n    display: flex;\n    flex-direction: column;\n    gap: 8px;\n  }\n\n  \/* Typography *\/\n  .fc-card-content p {\n    margin: 0;\n    font-size: 16px;\n    line-height: 1.4;\n  }\n\n  .fc-label {\n    font-weight: 700;\n    color: #555;\n    text-transform: uppercase;\n    font-size: 13px;\n    letter-spacing: 0.5px;\n    margin-right: 5px;\n  }\n\n  .fc-title-text {\n    font-size: 18px;\n    font-weight: bold;\n    color: #111;\n  }\n\n  .fc-author-card a {\n    color: #0056b3;\n    text-decoration: none;\n    font-weight: 600;\n  }\n\n  .fc-author-card a:hover {\n    text-decoration: underline;\n  }\n\n  .fc-result-text {\n    font-size: 18px;\n    font-weight: 900;\n    color: #e31b23;\n    text-transform: uppercase;\n  }\n\n  \/* Mobile Responsiveness *\/\n  @media (max-width: 500px) {\n    .fc-author-card {\n      flex-direction: column;\n      text-align: center;\n      padding: 20px;\n    }\n  }\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"fc-author-card\">\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.factcrescendo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/False.png\" alt=\"Result Stamp\">\n  \n  <div class=\"fc-card-content\">\n    <p><span class=\"fc-label\">Title:<\/span> <span class=\"fc-title-text\">The Claim That a Type of \u201cBrain Fever\u201d Is Currently Spreading Among Schoolchildren in the Ratnapura Area Is False! <\/span><\/p>\n    <p><span class=\"fc-label\">Fact Check By:<\/span> <a href=\"mailto:info@factcrescendo.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pavithra Sandamali<\/a><\/p>\n    <p><span class=\"fc-label\">Result:<\/span> <span class=\"fc-result-text\">False<\/span><\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?phone=94771514696&#038;text=Please%20type%20your%20Name%20and%20Language:%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2481\" src=\"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Whats-app-sri-lanka.png\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel Various attempts to raise public awareness using new technology are frequently seen across social media platforms these days. However, sharing unverified information on social media can create unnecessary public fear. Below is a fact-check we conducted regarding one such false claim. Social Media Posts : \u201cDisturbing news from Ratnapura! Please [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":18829,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,6,8],"tags":[2022,5127,5126],"class_list":["post-18828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-false","category-health","category-social","tag-meningitis","tag-ratnapura","tag-ratnapura-school-children"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Claim That a Type of \u201cBrain Fever\u201d Is Currently Spreading Among Schoolchildren in the Ratnapura Area Is False!\u00a0 - Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English | The leading fact-checking website<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Claim That a Type of \u201cBrain Fever\u201d Is Currently Spreading Among Schoolchildren in the Ratnapura Area Is False!\u00a0 - Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English | The leading fact-checking website\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel Various attempts to raise public awareness using new technology are frequently seen across social media platforms these days. However, sharing unverified information on social media can create unnecessary public fear. Below is a fact-check we conducted regarding one such false claim. Social Media Posts : \u201cDisturbing news from Ratnapura! Please [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English | The leading fact-checking website\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-20T11:39:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-20T11:40:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2569-05-20-at-16.42.11.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"622\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"420\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Pavithra Sandamali\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Pavithra Sandamali\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Pavithra Sandamali\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6a01f2789633a4396c1d94875794ec06\"},\"headline\":\"The Claim That a Type of \u201cBrain Fever\u201d Is Currently Spreading Among Schoolchildren in the Ratnapura Area Is False!\u00a0\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-20T11:39:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-20T11:40:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":952,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/WhatsApp-Image-2569-05-20-at-16.42.11.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"Meningitis\",\"Ratnapura\",\"Ratnapura school children\"],\"articleSection\":[\"False\",\"Health\",\"Social\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Claim That a Type of \u201cBrain Fever\u201d Is Currently Spreading Among Schoolchildren in the Ratnapura Area Is False!\u00a0 - Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English | The leading fact-checking website\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/WhatsApp-Image-2569-05-20-at-16.42.11.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-20T11:39:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-20T11:40:31+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/WhatsApp-Image-2569-05-20-at-16.42.11.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/WhatsApp-Image-2569-05-20-at-16.42.11.jpeg\",\"width\":622,\"height\":420},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Claim That a Type of \u201cBrain Fever\u201d Is Currently Spreading Among Schoolchildren in the Ratnapura Area Is False!\u00a0\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/\",\"name\":\"Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English | The leading fact-checking website\",\"description\":\"The Fact Behind Every News!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English | The leading fact-checking website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/Logo-For-Wbsite-e1731583730815.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/Logo-For-Wbsite-e1731583730815.png\",\"width\":320,\"height\":89,\"caption\":\"Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English | The leading fact-checking website\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6a01f2789633a4396c1d94875794ec06\",\"name\":\"Pavithra Sandamali\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/eb86baa067fb767ab53bed4a9feec28d3cb36a7f03eebdc75c03285b14d42059?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/eb86baa067fb767ab53bed4a9feec28d3cb36a7f03eebdc75c03285b14d42059?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/eb86baa067fb767ab53bed4a9feec28d3cb36a7f03eebdc75c03285b14d42059?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Pavithra Sandamali\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\\\/english\\\/author\\\/pavithra-sandamali\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Claim That a Type of \u201cBrain Fever\u201d Is Currently Spreading Among Schoolchildren in the Ratnapura Area Is False!\u00a0 - Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English | The leading fact-checking website","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Claim That a Type of \u201cBrain Fever\u201d Is Currently Spreading Among Schoolchildren in the Ratnapura Area Is False!\u00a0 - Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English | The leading fact-checking website","og_description":"Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel Various attempts to raise public awareness using new technology are frequently seen across social media platforms these days. However, sharing unverified information on social media can create unnecessary public fear. Below is a fact-check we conducted regarding one such false claim. Social Media Posts : \u201cDisturbing news from Ratnapura! Please [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/","og_site_name":"Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English | The leading fact-checking website","article_published_time":"2026-05-20T11:39:22+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-05-20T11:40:31+00:00","og_image":[{"width":622,"height":420,"url":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2569-05-20-at-16.42.11.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Pavithra Sandamali","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Pavithra Sandamali","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/"},"author":{"name":"Pavithra Sandamali","@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/#\/schema\/person\/6a01f2789633a4396c1d94875794ec06"},"headline":"The Claim That a Type of \u201cBrain Fever\u201d Is Currently Spreading Among Schoolchildren in the Ratnapura Area Is False!\u00a0","datePublished":"2026-05-20T11:39:22+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-20T11:40:31+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/"},"wordCount":952,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2569-05-20-at-16.42.11.jpeg","keywords":["Meningitis","Ratnapura","Ratnapura school children"],"articleSection":["False","Health","Social"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/","url":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/","name":"The Claim That a Type of \u201cBrain Fever\u201d Is Currently Spreading Among Schoolchildren in the Ratnapura Area Is False!\u00a0 - Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English | The leading fact-checking website","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2569-05-20-at-16.42.11.jpeg","datePublished":"2026-05-20T11:39:22+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-20T11:40:31+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2569-05-20-at-16.42.11.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2569-05-20-at-16.42.11.jpeg","width":622,"height":420},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/false-claim-that-meningitis-is-spreading-among-school-children-in-ratnapura-these-days\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Claim That a Type of \u201cBrain Fever\u201d Is Currently Spreading Among Schoolchildren in the Ratnapura Area Is False!\u00a0"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/#website","url":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/","name":"Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English | The leading fact-checking website","description":"The Fact Behind Every News!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/#organization","name":"Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English | The leading fact-checking website","url":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Logo-For-Wbsite-e1731583730815.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Logo-For-Wbsite-e1731583730815.png","width":320,"height":89,"caption":"Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English | The leading fact-checking website"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/#\/schema\/person\/6a01f2789633a4396c1d94875794ec06","name":"Pavithra Sandamali","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eb86baa067fb767ab53bed4a9feec28d3cb36a7f03eebdc75c03285b14d42059?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eb86baa067fb767ab53bed4a9feec28d3cb36a7f03eebdc75c03285b14d42059?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eb86baa067fb767ab53bed4a9feec28d3cb36a7f03eebdc75c03285b14d42059?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Pavithra Sandamali"},"url":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/author\/pavithra-sandamali\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2569-05-20-at-16.42.11.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18828"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18828\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18831,"href":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18828\/revisions\/18831"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}