Sri Lanka has recorded 88,088 dengue cases so far in 2026, according to the latest figures from the National Dengue Control Unit.
The death toll stands at 63, unchanged from the count reported on Tuesday. That gives a case fatality rate of 0.07% for the year.
August has produced 2,739 cases in its first days. July remains the worst month of the outbreak, with 29,975 infections recorded nationally.
Where the cases are
Gampaha is the worst-affected district, accounting for 18,739 cases. Colombo is second with 17,490. The two Western Province districts together make up more than 40% of the national total.
Health authorities have again urged the public to remove mosquito breeding grounds and maintain clean surroundings. The NDCU said it continues to monitor the situation and called for greater public cooperation, particularly during periods of increased mosquito activity.
A slowing outbreak, and a wet week
The new total continues a decelerating trend. The cumulative count stood at 85,364 cases and 62 deaths on August 2, when the NDCU recorded an 18% week-on-week fall in new cases. NDCU Director Dr. Kapila Kannangara said this week that daily reported cases had dropped from around 1,300 to between 350 and 400.
The renewed appeal comes as the southwest monsoon intensifies, bringing heavy rain across the western and central parts of the island — conditions that leave standing water in which Aedes mosquitoes breed.
The Health Ministry has announced a two-year national dengue eradication programme, and control work has been constrained by an insecticide shortage that prompted India to hand over 500 litres of technical-grade Malathion on August 4.
Sources: Ada Derana.
