Since the beginning of the year and through June 22, the Sri Lanka National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) has reported 47,530 dengue fever cases.
Officials are reporting 13,689 cases in June to date alone, up from 8,590 cases seen in May 2026.
29 deaths have been reported to date.
Colombo district accounts for 21 percent of the country’s cases (9,983), while Gampaha district has reported 8,809 cases (18.53%).
Multiple media outlets report Sri Lanka is deploying the military to contain the spread of mosquito-borne dengue fever, as health authorities warned Tuesday that hospitals are being overwhelmed with more than 1,000 admissions a day.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's office said army, navy and air force officers would join a special unit to identify and destroy mosquito breeding sites.
Dengue is a disease caused by a virus spread through mosquito bites. The disease can take up to 2 weeks to develop with illness generally lasting less than a week.
Screwworm 101 with Lee Haines, PhD
Symptoms from dengue include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, rash, muscle and joint pain, and minor bleeding.
Dengue can become severe within a few hours. Severe dengue is a medical emergency, usually requiring hospitalization.
In severe cases, health effects can include hemorrhage (uncontrolled bleeding), shock (seriously low blood pressure), organ failure, and death.