Sri Lanka is grappling with its worst dengue outbreak in nearly a decade, prompting authorities to deploy the country’s armed forces to help curb the spread of the mosquito-borne disease.
Since January, the country has recorded 76,044 dengue infections and 53 deaths, with health officials warning that the outbreak is being driven by the more virulent DENV-2 strain.
The number of cases is approaching the more than 100,000 infections recorded during Sri Lanka’s major dengue outbreak in 2017.
Hospitals across the country are struggling to cope with the sharp rise in patients, forcing healthcare facilities to add more beds, convert wards and extend working hours for doctors and nurses.
In the first two weeks of July alone, more than 18,000 new cases were reported, while 21,537 infections were recorded in June—more than double the number reported in May.
Consultant physician Dr Lalindra Dias from Negombo, one of the worst-hit districts, said his hospital treated nearly 1,800 dengue patients in less than two months since June, compared with about 1,050 cases during the same period last year.
To contain the outbreak, the government has launched large-scale clean-up operations targeting homes, schools, construction sites and religious institutions to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.
The Sri Lanka Air Force is also using drones to identify stagnant water on rooftops and monitor larger areas, while military personnel and police officers are assisting public health teams with inspections and patient management.
According to the Health Ministry, nearly 11,000 mosquito breeding sites have been cleared this month, while fines were issued to more than 4,000 premises found harbouring mosquito larvae.
Health officials expect dengue cases to decline as the southwest monsoon weakens in August. However, they warned infections could rise again when the country’s second monsoon season begins in November.
Authorities are also considering introducing a dengue vaccine, although experts caution that its effectiveness may be limited due to the circulation of multiple dengue virus strains.
