Sri Lanka battles worst dengue outbreak in years as cases surge

Sri Lanka’s public health system is grappling with its worst dengue outbreak in nearly a decade, as authorities deploy military support to help contain the spread of the mosquito-borne disease.

According to Reuters, efforts to curb infections include the use of air force drones to identify stagnant rooftop water following monsoon rains, alongside military and police personnel assisting in inspections of homes, construction sites and schools to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.

Since January, the outbreak has resulted in 53 deaths and 76,044 reported infections. The figures are approaching the more than 100,000 cases recorded during the country’s last major outbreak in 2017, with officials attributing the surge in part to a more virulent strain.

“It’s challenging for the doctors because it’s a rapid increase in patients,” said consultant Lalindra Dias in Negombo, one of the worst-affected areas, about 35 km (22 miles) north of Colombo. “All of a sudden, you get a large influx coming into the hospital,” added Dias, noting that the district general hospital treated nearly 1,800 patients in less than two months since June, compared with about 1,050 during the same period in 2025.

Hospitals have rushed to expand capacity, adding beds, converting wards and increasing working hours for medical staff as they deal with more than 18,000 cases reported in the first two weeks of July alone, health authorities said.

In June, infections reached 21,537—more than double the May figure. Dengue symptoms typically include high fever, body aches and loss of appetite. Sri Lanka has yet to introduce a vaccine.

The outbreak has intensified in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, which struck in late November, damaging critical infrastructure and healthcare facilities and causing an estimated $1.4 billion in losses, according to the World Bank.

Despite Sri Lanka’s relatively strong healthcare capacity of four hospital beds per 1,000 people—above the global average of fewer than three—the surge in cases is straining resources.

Public health workers are “stretched to their limit,” said Kapila Kannangara, acting director general of the National Dengue Control Unit. “The number of patients is high, and the severity of the cases is high,” he added, noting that about 75% of infections are linked to the more virulent DENV-2 strain.

Authorities expect case numbers to ease as monsoon rains subside in August but warn infections could rise again with the return of rains during the second monsoon season starting in November.

The government has intensified cleanup operations in the hardest-hit regions, targeting sites ranging from homes to religious institutions to eliminate breeding grounds. Nearly 11,000 such sites have been cleared this month, while fines have been imposed on more than 4,000 premises found to harbour mosquito larvae, the health ministry said.

The air force is also assisting overstretched hospital staff by using drones to monitor larger areas and identify water accumulation points.

To reduce pressure on hospitals, doctors are advising patients with mild symptoms to recover at home. “The doctor asked me to stay at home because my platelet count had not fallen too much,” said 23-year-old Shalini Aloka Perera. “Then I did my treatment at home because there are too many patients in the hospitals.”

Authorities are considering introducing a dengue vaccine, though experts caution that its effectiveness may be limited due to the virus’s complexity and the circulation of multiple strains.

At Negombo hospital, Dr Dias said the number of cases could stabilise before declining in August, though the current outbreak’s severity makes projections uncertain. “So we cannot exactly say when it will stop, by the end of July. Sometimes it will be a little longer than that.”

By Tamilla Hasanova