The number of dengue cases reported in Sri Lanka this year is approaching 70,000, according to the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU), as the mosquito-borne illness continues to spread through the island’s most densely populated districts.
A total of 69,951 dengue cases had been recorded nationwide as of July 13, the unit said. That marks an increase of 1,279 infections in a single day, up from 68,672 cases reported the previous day. The first 13 days of July alone accounted for 14,572 cases — a pace that, if sustained, would surpass June’s monthly total of 21,538, the highest so far in 2026.
The Western Province remains by far the worst-affected region, with 33,127 cases — close to half the national count. Within the province, the Gampaha District leads with 14,464 cases, followed closely by Colombo with 14,004. Health officials have repeatedly identified the province’s dense urban settlements, construction sites and discarded containers as prime breeding grounds for the Aedes aegypti mosquito during the monsoon.
The figures underline the scale of an outbreak that authorities have already described as one of the worst on record. Earlier this month the Health Ministry launched a dengue eradication drive across 60 high-risk zones after the national death toll climbed to 47, and schools in affected areas have urged pupils to wear protective clothing to reduce daytime mosquito bites.
Authorities continue to appeal to the public to destroy mosquito breeding sites around homes and workplaces, warning that larvae densities in the Western Province remain dangerously high heading into the second half of July.
