Sri Lanka has reported 7,038 dengue cases from July 1 through July 6, for more than 1,000 cases a day during the month so far.
The total cases since the beginning of the year is now 62,422 with Colombo and Gampaha districts reporting the most with 12,663 and 12,582 cases, respectively.
The death toll remains at 39.
Dengue was first serologically confirmed in Sri Lanka in 1962, and the first documented dengue outbreak was reported in 1965.
From the early 2000s onward, dengue became firmly established as an endemic disease in Sri Lanka, with cases reported from all districts of the country. Large epidemics were recorded in 2002, 2004, 2009, 2017, and 2019. The largest outbreak in Sri Lankan history occurred in 2017, with more than 186,000 reported dengue cases nationally.
The Western Province, particularly the Colombo, Gampaha, and Kalutara districts, has consistently reported the highest dengue burden in the country due to high population density, rapid urbanization, construction activities, environmental conditions favorable for mosquito breeding, and increased human mobility. Dengue transmission in Sri Lanka demonstrates a clear seasonal pattern, with two annual peaks corresponding to the southwest and northeast monsoon periods.
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