SL records over 10,000 dengue cases in January

The Epidemiology Unit, in its latest update on the dengue fever epidemic in the month of January, said a total of 10,607 cases have been reported from across the country, an increase of 90% compared to the same period last year.

Accordingly, the highest number of dengue patients were reported from the Colombo district at 1,693, followed by Trincomalee with 1,278, Jaffna with 1,061, Batticaloa 1,044, Gampaha with 74, and Kandy with 662 patients.

Monaragala was the only district that did not record any dengue cases, while all other districts have recorded over 15 patients during the month of January.

In January 2019, Sri Lanka recorded a total of 5,580 dengue cases.

The Health officials called on the public to be vigilant on mosquito breeding sites and take steps to clean those sites and keep the environment unpolluted on a regular basis.

Furthermore, the officials said it was important to seek medical attention in the event of fever and to do relevant laboratory investigations at least by day three of the illness. The warning signs to seek immediate medical advice include continued vomiting and diarrhoea (which can result in dehydration), lethargy or restlessness, bleeding from anywhere, severe headache and severe abdominal pain.