The National Dengue Control Programme has reported over 20,000 dengue cases in the first three months of this year.
The Programme noted that the hot weather has led to a decrease in the breeding of dengue mosquito larvae, resulting in a 22.8 per cent reduction in the number of reported cases.
In these three months, there have been 8 dengue-related deaths. The number of reported infections was 10,417 in January, 6,007 in February, and 3,615 in March.
Out of the total infections, the highest number was from the Western Province, with 7,211 cases (35.7 per cent), followed by 4,215 cases (20.9 per cent) from the Eastern Province, and 1,585 cases (7.9 per cent) from the Central Province.
The areas of Colombo Municipal Council, Kesbewa, Kaduwela, Maharagama, Biyagama, Gampaha, Wattala, Kurunegala and Chavakachcheri have been identified as high-risk areas for dengue. The National Dengue Control Programme advices that under the current hot weather conditions, people should focus on cleaning their living environments to eliminate potential breeding sites for dengue mosquitoes.
Sandhya Karunaratne