Sri Lanka has recorded more than 100,000 dengue cases this year, with 100,127 infections reported by September 27, according to National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) surveillance data reported by the Daily Mirror on Monday morning. Seventy-seven deaths have been recorded so far this year.
The monthly curve is falling
The milestone arrives as the monthly case count declines sharply. September produced 4,637 cases up to the 27th, against 10,155 in August and 29,964 in July — the year’s peak month.
On those figures the national total stood at about 95,490 at the end of August, meaning the 100,000 threshold was crossed during the third week of September even as the daily rate eased.
Where the cases are
Gampaha remains the worst-affected district with 21,234 cases (21.21%), ahead of Colombo on 19,634 (19.61%). Kandy has recorded 7,624 (7.61%), Kalutara 6,365 (6.36%), Matara 6,284 (6.28%) and Galle 5,465 (5.46%).
By province, the Western Province accounts for 52,562 cases, or 52.50% of the national total — more than every other province combined. The Southern Province follows with 14,388 (14.37%), the Central Province with 9,498 (9.49%) and Sabaragamuwa with 8,268 (8.26%).
A gap in the published figures
The Western Province comprises only three districts — Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara. Their published case counts sum to 47,233, which is 5,329 short of the 52,562 figure given for the province. Each individual number is consistent with the stated national total as a percentage, so the discrepancy sits between the district and provincial series rather than in the overall count. LankaNewz could not establish from the published data which of the two series is complete.
The figure also sits above the 99,634 cases the NDCU reported through a consultant community physician two days earlier, a gap of 493 cases consistent with roughly two to three days of reporting at the current rate.
What the control unit says is driving it
The National Dengue Control Unit attributes the continuing rise to the weather. Community Physician Specialist Dr. Prasheela Samaraweera said the increase is largely linked to prevailing rainy conditions, which have created favourable environments for mosquito breeding, NewsFirst reported on Monday afternoon.
She said seven provinces remain in the high-risk category for dengue transmission. The unit has urged the public to identify and eliminate breeding sites in and around homes.
NewsFirst gives the same national total of 100,127 and the same Gampaha figure of 21,234 as the Daily Mirror’s NDCU data, independently confirming both numbers. It does not publish the provincial series, so the 5,329-case gap between the district and provincial figures noted above remains unresolved.
Ada Derana also reported the 100,000 milestone, but its site could not be retrieved for verification.
