Out-of-control dengue epidemic spreads across Sri Lanka

Dengue hyper-epidemic not yet under control, PHI Union warns The Public Health Inspectors’ (PHI) Union of Sri Lanka on Friday said the country’s dengue hyper-epidemic situation has still not been brought under control, warning of a fresh rise in cases amid changing weather conditions. Acting President of the PHI Union Upul Rohana said that although the situation has shown some improvement in areas where outbreaks were first reported, new clusters of infection are now emerging in other parts of the country. He urged the public to maintain, and not reduce, current dengue prevention activities under any circumstances. Rohana noted that light showers had begun in several areas under prevailing weather conditions, increasing the risk of mosquito breeding as vector density is already high. He also identified unoccupied properties as a major challenge in dengue control, pointing out that houses belonging to persons working abroad, as well as newly purchased but uninhabited properties in urban areas, were contributing significantly to mosquito breeding sites. Meanwhile, the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) said on Friday that dengue cases reported so far this year have exceeded 57,000, with 57,668 infections and 35 deaths recorded countrywide. The NDCU said 1,253 new cases were reported within the past 24 hours alone.District-wise, Colombo has recorded 11,811 cases so far this year, while Gampaha has reported 11,443 cases, making them the two most affected districts.

Out-of-control dengue epidemic spreads across Sri Lanka

Sources