Sri Lanka hit by unprecedented rise in dengue fever
There have been 107,015 notified cases of dengue fever in Sri Lanka since January, with 300 deaths linked to the disease as of 24 July, marking a 4.3-fold increase in the average number of cases reported in the country during this period, WHO has warned. Hospitals are overcrowded with patients suspected of carrying the disease. “Dengue is endemic here, but one reason for the dramatic rise in cases is that the virus currently spreading has evolved and people lack the immunity to fight off the new strain,” warned Novel Wijesekara of the Sri Lanka Red Cross. Also, heavy rains have allowed mosquito breeding grounds to thrive.

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‘Unprecedented’ dengue outbreak in Sri Lanka exceeds 107,000 cases

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The Epidemiology Unit of Sri Lanka’s ministry of health has been notified of 107,015 suspected cases of dengue fever since January, which WHO estimates is a 4.3-fold increase in the average number of cases usually reported in the country during this period.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reported that there have been nearly 300 deaths linked to the outbreak as of July 24. The organization added that hospitals in Sri Lanka are currently overcrowded with patients suspected of having dengue and are struggling to cope with the burden, particularly those in the Western Providence, where the ministry of health said 44.2% of cases were identified.

“The size of this dengue outbreak is unprecedented in Sri Lanka,” Jagath Abeysinghe, president of Sri Lanka Red Cross, said in a statement. “It will require a united front in support of the government’s prevention and control program and committed community action to tackle it.”

Preliminary laboratory results revealed that dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2) is the circulating strain responsible for the outbreak, according to WHO. Although all four serotypes have been identified in the country over the past 30 years, DENV-2 has not been frequently detected since 2009.

A female Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can transmit dengue viruses, with a blood meal visible through her transparent abdomen as she lifts off from her host’s skin. Source: James Gathany/CDC

“Dengue is endemic here, but one reason for the dramatic rise in cases is that the virus currently spreading has evolved and people lack the immunity to fight off the new strain,” Novil Wijesekara, MD, head of health at the Sri Lanka Red Cross, said in a press release.

Heavy monsoon rains and failure to remove potential breeding grounds for mosquito larvae such as rain-soaked garbage and standing water pools have also contributed to the severity of the outbreak, WHO said.

According to the country’s ministry of defense, more than 1,190 Army personnel have been recruited to contain the outbreak in Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kurunegala, Kandy, Matale, Kegalle, Ratnapura and Galle Districts. WHO said that army, police and civil defense forces are conducting house-to-house visits to mobilize vulnerable communities and dispose of garbage, clean vector breeding sites and promote health education.

“Island-wide Army troops will continue the campaign throughout the month until the incidence of dengue is eradicated from all corners of the island,” a press release from the ministry of defense said.

Health officials and volunteers with WHO, the ministry of health, IFRC and Sri Lanka Red Cross will also continue to support vector control efforts. The IFRC released Disaster Relief Emergency Funds to the Sri Lanka Red Cross to expand the response over the next 6 months. Red Cross teams will work with government partners to enhance patient care at six priority hospitals and improve water and sanitation at nine facilities.

“Dengue tends to seek out the poor who live in densely populated places where sanitation is inadequate, rubbish piles up, water pools and mosquitoes thrive,” Gerhard Tauscher, IFRC’s operations manager in Sri Lanka, said in a press release. “But the disease can be stopped in its tracks when affected communities are informed about prevention and treatment, have access to medical care and mobilize to clean up either environment. That’s what our teams are focusing on.”

Disclosure: Infectious Disease News was unable to confirm relevant financial disclosures at the time of publication.