NewsDesk @bactiman63

The International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies reports dengue cases have been on the rise since the beginning of the year in Sri Lanka. Cases reported are currently three times higher than those recorded in the corresponding period of the last two years.

Image/Robert Herriman

According to the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU), Sri Lanka has recorded 39,409 dengue cases, including 25 deaths so far in 2023.

A higher number of cases are recorded in the Western, Southwestern, Central, and Eastern provinces, especially in Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Galle, Kegalle, and Kandy districts.

The NDCU revealed that the spread of the DEN-3 variant of the Dengue virus is accelerating the virus spread across the country.

Dengue fever is a nationwide, year-round threat in Sri Lanka, however, risk is typically highest May-July and October-January. Sri Lanka reported roughly 76,467 dengue fever cases nationwide in 2022, 36,120 cases in 2021, and 31,162 cases in 2020.

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Sri Lankan health officials have implemented a comprehensive disease prevention program, including destroying dengue-carrying mosquitoes in the surrounding areas, fumigating, conducting spot checks, and identifying mosquito larvae.