Sri Lanka health officials reported 10,788 suspected dengue cases during the first two months of 2016. According to the Epidemiology Unit,Ministry of Health,  approximately 51.21 percent of these cases were reported from the Western Province and the highest number of cases were reported in the fourth week of 2016.

Aedes aegypti/CDC
Aedes aegypti/CDC

According to the Epidemiology Unit, this alarming situation warrants regular removal of possible mosquito breeding sites from the environment and seeking medical attention in a situation of fever, which goes over three days.

Dengue is an important vector-borne disease in Sri Lanka. First serologically confirmed case was reported in 1962 and the first documented dengue outbreak occurred in 1965- 1966, with few sporadic cases of hemorrhagic disease.

According to the studies conducted at Medical Research Institute, there had being continued dengue transmission in 1970s and 1980s with periodic epidemics, without significant numbers of dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.

Dengue is a viral infection transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. There are four closely related but antigenically different serotypes of the virus that can cause dengue (DEN1, DEN 2, DEN 3, DEN 4).Dengue has a wide spectrum of infection outcome (asymptomatic to symptomatic). Symptomatic illness can vary from undifferentiated fever (viral syndrome), dengue fever (DF), dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue with unusual manifestations. DF and DHF comprise the bulk of symptomatic illness while unusual dengue is a rare entity (usually <1%).

  • Dengue Fever (DF) – marked by an onset of sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and pain in muscles and joints. Some may also have a rash and varying degree of bleeding from various parts of the body (including nose, mouth and gums or skin bruising).
  • Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) – is a more severe form, seen only in a small proportion of those infected. DHF is a stereotypic illness characterized by 3 phases; febrile phase with high continuous fever usually lasting for less than 7 days; critical phase (plasma leaking) lasting 1-2
    Sri Lanka/CIA
    Sri Lanka/CIA

    days usually apparent when fever comes down, leading to shock if not detected and treated early; convalescence phase lasting 2-5 days with improvement of appetite, bradycardia (slow heart rate), convalescent rash (white patches in red background), often accompanied by generalized itching (more intense in palms and soles), and diuresis (increase urine output).

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