Sri Lanka reports over 25,000 dengue cases so far this year

Colombo, June 9 Over 25,000 dengue cases have been reported in Sri Lanka so far this year, said the National Dengue Control Unit on Monday.

A total of 25,055 cases and 13 dengue-related deaths have been reported during this period, Priscilla Samaraweera, a community specialist at the National Dengue Control Unit, said at a press conference.

More than 50 per cent of the cases have been reported from the Western Province, the country's most populous region, she said.

Samaraweera urged the public to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and take precautions during the morning and evening hours, when dengue mosquitoes are most active, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Ministry of Education has issued instructions to prevent the spread of dengue and chikungunya in schools across Sri Lanka, as cases of both are on the rise in the country.

According to the World Health Organisation, dengue symptoms can range from asymptomatic infection or mild illness to severe disease. An estimated 1 in 4 dengue virus infections are symptomatic. Symptomatic dengue virus infection most commonly presents as a mild to moderate, acute febrile illness.

Infection with one of the four dengue viruses will induce long-lived immunity for that specific virus. Because there are four dengue viruses, people can be infected multiple times in their lives. Early clinical findings are nonspecific but require a high index of suspicion because recognising early signs of shock and promptly initiating intensive supportive therapy can reduce the risk of death among patients.

Symptoms include high fever, headache, rash and muscle and joint pain. It may also cause nausea and vomiting. In severe cases, there is serious bleeding and shock, which can be life-threatening.

Treatment includes symptom management, which might include fluids and pain relievers. Severe cases require hospital care.

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