Dengue in 2026: over 100,000 cases so far
Sri Lanka is having a heavy dengue year. Most of what keeps it away is done at home, once a week.
Sri Lanka has recorded 102,769 dengue cases so far this year, according to the National Dengue Control Unit, and 35 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas are under intensified surveillance as high-risk.
Where it’s worst
The Western Province accounts for about half of all cases, with 52,906 by 4 October, The Morning reported, citing the National Dengue Control Unit. Gampaha has more cases than any other district.
The mosquito breeds in clean, still water. Usually yours.
What actually works
The dengue mosquito lays its eggs in small pools of clean water around homes, and it bites in the daytime. So the most useful habits are simple:
- Once a week, empty and scrub anything that holds water: buckets, flower pots, plant trays, old tyres.
- Clear roof gutters and any standing water in the garden.
- Fit mesh screens on windows and vents.
- Use insect repellent during the day, not just at night.
When to see a doctor
If you or your child has a fever for more than two days, see a doctor and ask about a dengue test. Use paracetamol for fever, and avoid painkillers like ibuprofen or aspirin unless a doctor says otherwise, as they can make bleeding worse with dengue. Get help straight away for severe stomach pain, repeated vomiting, bleeding gums or unusual drowsiness.
Correction, 15 October 2026: we originally reported 82,838 cases to 7 October, 63 deaths, 17,600 cases in Gampaha, 175 high-risk areas and cases in 28 districts, from a newspaper’s dengue tracker. Those figures were out of date or wrong. We have replaced them with figures from the National Dengue Control Unit, removed the district count and weekly trend we could not confirm, and updated the headline.
Sources: National Dengue Control Unit, accessed 15 October 2026; The Morning, 4 October 2026, citing the National Dengue Control Unit. This is general information, not medical advice.