Dengue in Sri Lanka (countrywide)

06 Jul 2023

Media sources report that as of 5 July 2023, the number of reported dengue cases reported in Sri Lanka has passed 50,000. The Sri Lankan Ministry of Health state that 50,254 cases had been reported country wide; an increase of over 13,000 cases from 9 June 2023.

To compare, in 2022, over 66,000 cases of Dengue were reported overall in Sri Lanka; with 28,396 of those reported by July last year.

Dengue is an infection spread by mosquito bites that can cause a severe flu-like illness. There is no vaccine against dengue in the UK.

Advice for Travellers

The mosquitoes which transmit dengue bite during the day, between dawn and dusk. They are particularly persistent and aggressive.

If you are travelling to an affected region, you are potentially at risk of dengue fever and should be aware of this infection.

• You can protect yourself by avoiding mosquito bites at all times.

If you develop a high temperature (fever) either during or after travelling to an affected area, you should seek medical advice as soon as possible and give details of your recent travel history.

For further information see the dengue fever page.